Samsung Electronics Union Sparks Controversy Over Plan to Make Non-Strikers ‘Top Priority’ for Dismissal

According to Financial News, the Samsung Electronics labor union plans to hold a strike action ballot starting on the 9th and has stirred controversy by declaring it will disadvantage employees who do not join any future strike.
Industry sources said on the 8th that the Samsung Electronics Joint Struggle Headquarters of Labor Unions will conduct a strike action ballot among all union members from the 9th to the 18th. With a high unionization rate among employees in the semiconductor business and strong pressure from the union, concerns are growing over potential disruptions in the production of key products such as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).
Unions affiliated with the headquarters include the Samsung Electronics Branch of the Super-Enterprise Union, the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union, and Samsung Electronics Union Donghaeng. The total number of members across these unions is estimated at about 89,000.
Through a YouTube live broadcast on the 5th, the headquarters announced that if a majority votes in favor and the right to strike is secured, it plans to hold a rally for union members on April 23 and stage an 18-day general strike from May 21 to June 7.
During the YouTube broadcast, Choi Seung-ho, head of the Samsung Electronics Branch of the Super-Enterprise Union, said, "During the general strike, the entire leadership will occupy the Pyeongtaek office and hold rallies there, and we will recruit staff to oversee and monitor all offices at the Samsung Pyeongtaek Campus." He added, "If there are people working for the company during that period, we will keep a list and later guide them as top candidates for forced transfers or dismissals that require consultation with the union."
In effect, employees who do not participate in the strike would be placed first in line for forced transfers or dismissal. The union also said it will operate a hotline during the strike period and offer rewards to those who report employees seen as cooperating with the company.
If the general strike goes ahead, Samsung Electronics will face a walkout for the second time in its history. The company experienced its first strike in 2024, led by the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union.
At the time of the first general strike, the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union had about 32,000 members. Now, however, the Samsung Electronics Branch of the Super-Enterprise Union alone has more than 66,000 members. More than half of all employees have already joined, effectively making it a majority union. Notably, around 50,000 of its members belong to the Device Solutions Division, which is responsible for the semiconductor business.
Previously, management and the union at Samsung Electronics held multiple rounds of wage negotiations for 2026, but talks ultimately broke down due to sharp differences over abolishing the cap on performance bonuses.
The union demanded greater transparency for the Overall Performance Incentive (OPI) and the removal of its cap. It also proposed that differences in OPI payouts between business divisions could be discussed, while lowering its request for a base salary increase to 5% as a final offer.
Management responded with a plan allowing the OPI funding base to be chosen between 20% of Economic Value Added (EVA) and 10% of operating profit. For the Device Solutions Division, it also proposed a special reward of an additional 100% OPI payout if operating profit reaches 100 trillion won. In addition, the company offered a 6.2% wage increase, 20 shares of company stock per employee, and other improvements to pay and benefits.
However, the union stuck to its demand to abolish the OPI cap. Management refused, arguing that if the cap were removed, many business divisions that struggle to exceed OPI targets could feel a strong sense of relative deprivation.
khj91@fnnews.com Kim Hyun-jung Reporter