Samsung Electronics Labor-Management Mediation 'Collapses'... Heading to ...

On the 20th, Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Super-Enterprise Labor Union, is expressing his position to reporters after finishing the post-mediation meeting. Photo = Yonhap News

| NewsWatch= Reporter Choi Sua | As the post-mediation between Samsung Electronics' labor and management collapsed on the 20th, the general strike scheduled for the 21st is expected to proceed as planned.

Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Super-Enterprise Labor Union, claimed, "On the 19th, the union agreed to the mediation proposal presented by the Central Labor Relations Commission (Labor Commission), but the management rejected it." He added, "Afterward, Yeo Myeong-gu, the management's chief negotiating representative, withdrew the rejection, which extended the meeting into its third day." Furthermore, he stated, "The management ultimately failed to clarify its stance by the 20th, claiming that 'no decision had been made,' leading the Labor Commission to terminate the post-mediation process."

Chairman Choi expressed his sentiments, saying, "I express deep regret that the post-mediation process was terminated due to management's delayed decision-making," and "It is unfortunate that the mediation ended without the management making a final decision."

Regarding the reason for the failure of the post-mediation agreement, the management stated, "If we accept the union's excessive demands as they are, the basic principles of company management could be shaken." Their assessment is that abandoning these principles would negatively impact other companies and industries, including their own. The management argued, "The union demanded a level of compensation that is socially unacceptable, even for deficit-making business divisions," adding, "This directly violates the basic principles of corporate management."

The labor union plans to enter a general strike starting tomorrow. In response, Samsung Electronics reacted by saying, "Under no circumstances should there be a strike."

However, both labor and management still show a willingness to dialogue. The union side stated, "We will not stop our efforts to reach a settlement even during the strike period," while the management conveyed, "To prevent the worst-case scenario, we will not give up on additional mediation and dialogue with the union until the very last moment."

Reporter Choi Sua newswatch@newswatch.kr