Samsung Electronics "Continuous Communication to Narrow Differences Between Labor and Management"
It has been reported that the DX (Device Experience) union, which secured the right to strike through the nationwide Samsung Electronics Labor Union (Jeonsamno), has declared its non-participation. As the DX union, which has the second largest number of union members after Jeonsamno, decided to withdraw, tensions between unions over participation in the strike appear to be escalating. Samsung Electronics, the management side, stated that it will continue communication with the unions to prevent any disruption to normal business operations.
On the morning of February 6th, in front of the Samsung Electronics Seocho Building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union Samsung Group Labor Union Solidarity shouted slogans urging "Chairman Lee Jae-yong to communicate directly with the union" during the "Samsung Solidarity 2024 Joint Demands Announcement Press Conference for Improving Working Conditions and Labor-Management Relations" held by the Korean Federation of Metalworkers' Unions Samsung Group Labor Union Solidarity. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to industry sources on the 9th, the DX union, which has the second largest number of members after Jeonsamno, decided not to engage in strike actions as only 33.6% of its total 6,210 members voted in favor. The DX union announced on its official website that the vote was rejected and clearly stated its intention not to participate in the strike. The union said, "The vote was rejected because the number of members who participated in the vote did not reach the majority," adding, "This means that the majority of members do not agree with the strike."
Jeonsamno, the largest union within Samsung Electronics, announced on the 8th via its YouTube channel that in the strike approval vote involving 28,458 members from Samsung Electronics unions 1 through 5, 20,853 participated, and 74% of the total members, or 20,330, voted in favor of the strike. The unions 1 through 5 include Jeonsamno, the DX union, as well as the office workers, Gumi Network, and Donghaeng unions. Among the 20,330 votes in favor of the strike, 91% (18,455 members) were reported to belong to Jeonsamno, which mainly represents the DS (semiconductor) division.
Jeonsamno stated that since it secured the legal threshold of majority approval from all union members required to carry out strike actions, there is no problem. However, with the second largest union opposing, the first strike action at Samsung Electronics is expected to lose some momentum.
Samsung Electronics said, "We regret the situation where the union's strike approval vote has passed," adding, "The company will always keep the door to dialogue open and will continuously communicate to narrow the differences between labor and management, striving to prevent any disruption to normal business operations."
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