Court Partially Upholds Injunction on Samsung Union Strike as Government Pushes for Settlement
Samsung Electronics and its labor union pressed on with critical government-mediated negotiations on Monday, striving for a last-minute agreement to avert a major strike scheduled for Thursday.
This second post-mediation session, facilitated by the National Labor Relations Commission, commenced Monday morning at the government complex in Sejong. Both parties rejoined the discussions following a direct request from Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon.
National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) Chairman Park Soo-geun announced after the morning session that talks were set to continue until 7 p.m. Monday, with a resumption scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Chairman Park noted that the commission had initially heard only the fundamental positions of both parties, with more specific proposals anticipated later in the day.
These crucial discussions follow an initial round of post-mediation held on May 11-12. The union has issued a strong warning, threatening an 18-day strike from Thursday until June 7, potentially involving around 50,000 workers. Consequently, this week’s two-day mediation period is widely regarded as the last viable chance to prevent the industrial action.
Central to this escalating labor dispute is Samsung’s controversial performance-based bonus system.
The union demands include enhanced transparency in bonus calculations, the elimination of the existing cap on incentives, and a written agreement allocating 15 percent of operating profit specifically for a bonus pool. The current bonus ceiling is reportedly set at 50 percent of an employee’s annual salary.
Samsung, however, has consistently resisted incorporating these demands into a rigid, fixed compensation formula. The company asserts it will offer remuneration exceeding rival levels once it reclaims industry leadership.
Choi Seung-ho, who leads the Samsung Electronics branch of the union, stated before the Monday meeting that the union intended to participate in the discussions in good faith.
“Having progressed to this post-mediation stage,” Choi informed reporters, “we are committed to sincerely engaging in this second round of talks.”
Company negotiators, including Yeo Myung-koo, head of the device solutions division’s people team, and Vice President Kim Hyung-ro, proceeded into the meeting room without making any immediate statements.
Later that day, Choi declined to comment when questioned about the atmosphere of the ongoing talks, the precise state of negotiations, or whether the union had received official notification regarding the court’s injunction decision.
Meanwhile, significant political pressure has also started to bear down on these critical negotiations.
On platform X, President Lee Jae Myung publicly urged both labor and management to pursue a “wise” settlement, emphasizing the importance of equally respecting both labor and management rights. He further articulated that workers deserve fair compensation for their efforts, while shareholders are rightfully entitled to returns commensurate with the risks they undertake.
These high-profile remarks undeniably intensified pressure on both parties to find a compromise, simultaneously indicating a potential for government intervention should the dispute escalate and cause broader economic disruption.
Adding to the government’s stance, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Sunday alluded to the potential invocation of emergency adjustment powers. This suggestion met with immediate and strong opposition from the Samsung union and the wider labor community.
Concurrently, the Suwon District Court on Monday granted a partial injunction in response to Samsung’s request, thereby imposing specific legal limitations on the union’s impending industrial action.
The court explicitly prohibited the union from obstructing safety-critical facilities, such as fire prevention, exhaust, and drainage systems. It further forbade interference with any work essential for preventing facility damage or wafer deterioration. Additionally, the injunction banned the occupation of company facilities, the installation of locks, and the creation of entry blockades.
Despite the ruling, the union affirmed its intention to respect the court’s decision while still proceeding with its planned industrial action on Thursday.
Majung, the law firm representing the union, clarified that the court’s ruling only partially upheld Samsung’s request and would not, in their view, obstruct the impending strike.
The firm indicated that the court seemingly concurred with Samsung’s interpretation regarding the scope of safety protection facilities and security-related operations, but critically, sided with the union concerning staffing levels during the strike.
Majung argued that this aspect of the ruling effectively permits staffing at reduced weekend or holiday levels, meaning fewer than 7,000 workers would be on duty. Consequently, they contend, this poses minimal practical impediment to the planned strike action.
yeeun
