Overview
- Samsung and its largest union reconvened Tuesday at the National Labor Relations Commission after Monday's 11-hour session ended without a deal, and officials said the mediator may table a proposal.
- Union leaders are holding out for performance bonuses equal to 15 percent of operating profit with the cap scrapped and the plan locked in, while management has floated roughly 10 percent for the chip unit and rejected uncapping payouts.
- The union has scheduled a general strike for May 21 to June 7 if talks fail, and Samsung has asked a court to keep a small safety crew on duty to protect clean-room conditions and prevent wafer loss.
- Business groups warn of broader fallout, with AmCham saying a walkout could unsettle global supply chains and weaken Korea’s investment appeal, and analysts estimating a strike could trim about 3 percent of worldwide memory output.
- The standoff reflects a wider shift toward profit-linked bonuses after SK hynix’s 2025 deal, with similar demands emerging at Kakao, Hyundai Motor and LG Uplus, even as Samsung’s chip-heavy union faces internal rifts and recent member withdrawals.