[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Samsung Electronics labor and management will begin full-scale collective bargaining starting next week.
According to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) on the 31st, the Samsung Electronics Joint Labor Negotiation Team, composed of four Samsung Electronics unions, and the FKTU's Korean Metal Workers' Union Federation (Metal Federation) plan to hold a meet-and-greet at 10 a.m. on the 3rd of next month.
This meet-and-greet will take place at the FKTU conference room in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
The Joint Negotiation Team consists of the National Samsung Electronics Union (3rd Union) under the Metal Federation, the Samsung Electronics Office Workers' Union without an upper-level organization, the Samsung Electronics Gumi Branch Union, and the Samsung Electronics Union.
A total of 10 members participate, including 7 from the largest National Samsung Electronics Union and 1 from each of the other unions. The Joint Negotiation Team has been pushing forward negotiations with the goal of establishing Samsung Electronics' first collective agreement.
Prior to this, the Joint Negotiation Team and management held two working-level meetings this month to ensure smooth main negotiations. Mainly, before the main negotiations, management listened to various conditions requested by the unions, such as securing exclusive working spaces, the time-off system (recognition of working hours), and union full-time positions, and they reportedly discussed the schedule and procedures for collective bargaining between labor and management.
Samsung Electronics has previously conducted collective bargaining at the individual union level but did not reach a collective agreement. To support and encourage this collective bargaining, Kim Man-jae, chairman of the Metal Federation, plans to attend the meet-and-greet as the chief negotiator.
Since Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong declared the "abolition of the no-union management principle" in his public apology in May, collective bargaining within Samsung has been gaining momentum, and some affiliates have already signed collective agreements. Accordingly, there is growing anticipation within Samsung Electronics unions for smooth negotiations and the signing of collective agreements.
The National Samsung Electronics Union stated, "Through this collective bargaining, we plan to make every effort to secure full-time union staff and guarantee stable union activities."
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