Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon speaks during an event at the R.ENA Convention Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 6. [YONHAP]
Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon signaled the government’s reluctance to use its emergency powers to forestall a looming strike at Samsung Electronics, stressing that management and labor should continue negotiations “until the very end” in an interview released on Wednesday.
“Dialogue [between Samsung Electronics’ management and labor] is not only necessary but also must take place soon,” Kim said in a prerecorded interview with YouTube political talk show host Jang Yoon-seon.
When asked whether the government was considering invoking its emergency mediation authority to prevent the strike planned for May 21 from going forward, Kim demurred, saying only that “discussions should continue, even if it means both sides have to stay up all night.”
Despite weeks of negotiations, management and labor at Samsung Electronics have been unable to narrow their differences over key union demands, such as abolishing the annual bonus cap and distributing 15 percent of the semiconductor business’s annual operating profit to workers.
The dispute has been indirectly exacerbated by rival chipmaker SK hynix’s pledge to distribute 10 percent of its annual operating profit to its workers, who are set to receive their largest bonuses ever as a result.
Management and labor at Samsung Electronics entered postmediation talks under the supervision of the National Labor Relations Commission on Tuesday morning, but the 17-hour session was ultimately suspended early on Wednesday at the union’s request.
The breakdown fueled speculation that the government could consider invoking its emergency adjustment powers to avert a full-scale strike.
This measure allows the labor minister to suspend strike action for up to 30 days and compel mediation or arbitration through the National Labor Relations Commission if a labor dispute is deemed likely to have a serious impact on the national economy.
Choi Seung-ho, the head of the largest union at Samsung Electronics, speaks to reporters during talks with company management at the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong on May 12. [YONHAP]
The strike could cost the Samsung Electronics upward of 30 trillion won ($20.1 billion) in losses, according to multiple estimates.
Kim, however, suggested that the government would prioritize voluntary dialogue and negotiations.
“I respect the unions’ position that the mediation proposal from the National Labor Relations Commission lacked any meaning,” he said. “But there is no time limit for the postmediation process, and independent negotiations should continue.”
Still, he emphasized that though the decision to strike ultimately rests with the union, the government would seek to prevent the dispute from escalating.
“Whether to strike is the union’s choice, but the government negotiates behind the scenes and in public down to the last minute [...] to coordinate between the two sides so the situation does not reach that point,” Kim said.
Kim also urged both Samsung management and labor to engage in self-reflection.
“The company has long spoken of employees as ‘another family,’ while the union has argued for more ‘transparency and fairness,’” he said. “But both sides need to think deeply about what fairness means.”
He added that Samsung Electronics should resolve the dispute in a way that sets an example.
“The public should be able to look at this and think, ‘Samsung handles things differently,’” Kim said. “The issue must somehow be resolved through dialogue, without being constrained by procedure.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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