Donghaeng Union leaves the three-union joint bargaining body for 2026 pay talks
Samsung Electronics union members are holding a rally in front of the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek campus on April 23. (Photo, joint press coverage)
The Samsung Electronics Donghaeng Union, whose members are predominantly from non-semiconductor divisions, has announced its withdrawal from the Joint Struggle Headquarters, which was formed by three major Samsung Electronics unions for this year’s wage negotiations.
On May 4, the Samsung Electronics Donghaeng Union sent an official document to the ‘Samsung Electronics branch of the Chogiop Union’ and the ‘National Samsung Electronics Union’ titled ‘Regarding the Termination of the Joint Bargaining Group for the 2026 Wage Negotiations,’ stating, “As of today, we will withdraw from the joint bargaining and joint struggle.” The Donghaeng Union has approximately 2,300 members, about 70% of whom belong to the Device eXperience (DX) Division, which is responsible for non-semiconductor areas such as mobile phones, home appliances, and TVs.
On November 5 of last year, the three unions—the Chogiop Union, the National Samsung Electronics Union, and the Donghaeng Union—signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding on the Formation and Operation of a Joint Bargaining Group for Wage Negotiations’ and formed the joint group as a single bargaining channel with the company. After negotiations with the company broke down in March, they transitioned into a Joint Struggle Headquarters and began a full-scale struggle over performance bonuses. However, as the headquarters only demanded that 15% of the operating profit from the semiconductor division be paid as performance bonuses without a cap, members from non-semiconductor divisions have accumulated a sense of relative deprivation and dissatisfaction.
Regarding the reason for withdrawing from the joint action, the Donghaeng Union stated, “Despite our proposals and requests for agenda items aimed at protecting the rights and interests of all union members, not just those in a specific field, the (Joint Struggle Headquarters) provided no response.” It also pointed out, “From the past to the present, there have been continuous attacks and disparagement directed at the Donghaeng Union, and they have not hesitated to use malicious expressions such as ‘company union.’”
It was reported that the Donghaeng Union is concerned that the Joint Struggle Headquarters’ demand for a high performance bonus of around 600 million won per person and its announcement of a strike could be perceived by society as the union’s ‘collective selfishness.’ Previously, on the 30th of last month, President Lee Jae-myung had pointed out, “When some organized workers make excessive and unjust demands to serve only their own interests, drawing criticism from the public, it harms not only the union in question but also other workers.”
A trend of union withdrawals among members from non-semiconductor divisions also appears to be spreading. On the website bulletin board of the Samsung Electronics branch of the Chogiop Union, which is leading the struggle for performance bonuses in the semiconductor division, the number of posts applying for union withdrawal increased to 500 on the 28th of last month and surpassed 1,000 on the 29th. This movement is increasingly spreading, accompanied by a relay of withdrawal ‘proof shots’ on internal company bulletin boards and employee communities. Withdrawn members are expressing dissatisfaction, stating that the Chogiop Union is prioritizing only the interests of members from the Device Solutions (DS) Division, which handles the semiconductor business, while turning a deaf ear to the demands of members from other divisions.
The Chogiop Union, Samsung Electronics’ majority union, is leading this strike, centered on employees from the DS Division, who make up about 80% of its membership.
Jung Suk-yee
댓글
0