Overview
- The company and its largest union, which resumed government‑brokered mediation Monday, called this the last formal chance to avert an 18‑day walkout set for May 21.
- The union reaffirmed a demand for bonuses equal to 15 percent of operating profit with the cap scrapped and written into policy, warning talks could break down if that structure is not accepted.
- Samsung has proposed allocating 10 percent of the chip division’s operating profit to bonuses with tighter limits for loss‑making foundry and design units, and it rejects removing the cap despite offering a special package.
- Analysts say an 18‑day strike could cut global supply by about 3 to 4 percent for DRAM memory and 2 to 3 percent for NAND flash, and lines could need extra weeks to fully recover.
- The push for profit‑linked cash payouts follows SK hynix’s 2025 deal and is now surfacing at Kakao, Hyundai Motor and LG Uplus, even as Samsung’s fast‑growing 73,000‑plus union shows internal rifts.