Samsung Electronics labor-management talks remain at an impasse; second post-mediation session enters its final day tomorrow

[Financial News] The second post-mediation talks between Samsung Electronics and its labor union remain deadlocked. If the two sides fail to find common ground on the final day of the second mediation session on the 19th, the talks are likely to end in failure. In that case, unless labor and management reach a last-minute voluntary agreement on the 20th, the day before the planned general strike, the strike threat is expected to become a reality.
Park Soo-geun, chair of the National Labor Relations Commission, said the situation was "at an impasse" when asked on the 18th at the commission's office in Government Complex Sejong whether the gap between labor and management had narrowed and what the atmosphere was like. This suggests that the two sides have still not narrowed their differences over performance bonuses.
The commission has not yet formally presented a mediation proposal to either side. Park added, "The proposal will come out tomorrow."
Park, who is directly leading the second post-mediation process, also confirmed that the 19th is the final deadline for the session. His remarks indicate that the 19th is effectively the last chance for post-mediation.
As the commission is expected to present a proposal when the second post-mediation session resumes on the 19th, the process is likely to collapse if the two sides still cannot reach an agreement.
If that happens, the union's general strike will become a reality unless labor and management can reach a voluntary agreement on the 20th, the day before the strike deadline.

jhyuk@fnnews.com Kim Jun-hyuk Reporter