Samsung Workers' Union Strikes for Better Pay and Benefits

The National Samsung Electronics Union in South Korea continues its indefinite strike for improved pay and benefits. The strike, which began on Monday, has seen participation from approximately 6,500 members. Union leaders claim the action has caused production disruptions despite Samsung's denial of any impact.

In a significant move for labor rights, the workers' union at Samsung Electronics in South Korea announced on Wednesday its decision to continue striking indefinitely. This action is part of their campaign for better pay and benefits.

The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), representing around 30,000 members or nearly a quarter of Samsung's South Korean workforce, highlighted management's lack of response as the reason for extending the strike, initially planned for three days.

Lee Hyun-kuk, the union's vice president, stated, "We haven't spoken to management since we started the strike on Monday." The strike has reportedly disrupted production on certain chip lines, though Samsung claims there has been no production impact.

The union is pushing for a 3.5% increase in base salary and a day off to mark the union's founding instead of an extra day of annual leave. Despite differing reports on the strike's impact, union leaders are determined to escalate their efforts and encourage more members to join.

Analysts remain cautious about the actual production disruptions, citing the need for detailed information on wafers and processes. Meanwhile, Samsung's share price showed a slight decline amid the ongoing labor unrest.

(With inputs from agencies.)