Controversy Over Secret Wage Deal Sparks Turmoil... Thousands of Samsung Electronics Employees Rush to Leave Union

Samsung Electronics Union Membership Falls Below 30,000
29,944 Members as of 10 a.m. on July 3
First Time in a Year Since July's General Strike
Controversy Over "Behind-the-Scenes Agreement" in Wage Talks
Transition to Emergency Leadership, Maintains Chief Negotiator Status
Executive Election Likely to Be Moved Up, Focus on Restructuring

The number of members in the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union (NSELU), the largest union within Samsung Electronics, has fallen below 30,000. This decline is attributed to internal instability within the union, including the current vacancy in the executive committee and a decrease in membership. Observers point out that if this trend continues, the union may lose momentum in the upcoming wage negotiations for next year, scheduled for the second half of this year, making organizational restructuring an urgent task.

According to industry sources on July 3, as of 10 a.m. that day, the number of NSELU members stood at 29,944. After surpassing 30,000 members following the general strike in July last year, the figure has dropped below 30,000 for the first time in about a year.

In July last year, the largest union of Samsung Electronics, the National Samsung Electronics Labor Union, declared a three-day general strike. Union members are shouting slogans at the general strike rally held in front of the main gate of Samsung Electronics Hwaseong Plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

In early July last year, NSELU staged the first general strike in the company's history since its founding in 1967, citing demands such as a higher wage increase rate, fulfillment of paid leave promises, and improvements to the Over-Profit Incentive (OPI) criteria. This led to a rapid increase in union membership.

However, after the wage and collective bargaining agreement for 2025 was signed in March?which included an average wage increase rate of 5.1% (a base increase of 3.0% and a performance-based increase of 2.1%)?controversy arose over a behind-the-scenes agreement between management and the executive committee. This sparked a decline in membership. It was revealed that after the agreement was signed, the executive committee had negotiated separately with management to secure a higher performance-based increase specifically for the standing executive members, leading to internal conflict within the union.

The number of union members, which had been in the 36,000 range as of March, plummeted by more than 6,000 in just four months. The third executive committee, taking responsibility for the situation, resigned en masse with about nine months left in their term, and NSELU transitioned to an emergency leadership system. Nevertheless, NSELU is expected to maintain its status as the largest union, representing 23% of all Samsung Electronics employees (approximately 125,000 people), and to continue holding the position of chief negotiator.

Accordingly, the union is expected to expedite efforts to stabilize its internal structure, including filling the vacant executive positions. The election for the fourth executive committee, originally scheduled for September, is now expected to be held as early as July or August.