Workers at the South Korean Samsung Display factory went on strike for the first time in history. Employees were outraged by the reluctance of management to raise wages to the desired level. The 2,400-strong union asked for a 6.8% increase in base salary, but instead, management suggested an increase of only 4.5%. So far, only six workers have taken part in the action, but according to polls, union members are ready for a full-fledged strike.
Samsung Display is one of the world's largest manufacturers of displays for a wide range of electronics. The company was founded nine years ago as part of the transnational corporation Samsung Electronics. The company is currently cooperating with the Chinese Oppo and Xiaomi, as well as the American Google. Among other things, it develops displays for Apple's iPhone smartphones.
The strike was staged by six workers at the Samsung Display plant in Asan. Just a year ago, this was not possible, as Samsung opposed the formation of unions and did not allow them to appear. But in May 2020, the former head of the corporation, Lee Jae Young, who was later imprisoned for bribes, allowed workers' associations.
As a result, a large union was formed, which today includes 2,400 Samsung Display employees – 10% of the company's total workforce. The conflict between workers and management over wages is expected to continue and escalate to a greater extent. As reported by Ryonghap, 90% of union members expressed their readiness to join the strike in May.
This protest is the first in the history of Samsung subsidiaries. According to experts, the strike at the Samsung Display plant will set off a chain reaction, and protests will begin to take place in other divisions of the South Korean corporation.
Earlier, “Secret” reported that due to a decrease in wages in Georgia, the production of the mineral water “Borjomi” was stopped. About 400 workers in the factories went on strike.
Credit: Flickr, CC BY 2.0
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