THe DX Unit workers object over bonus gaps as voting rights dispute deepens
Samsung Electronics union of 40,000 demands “bonuses,” saying “there will be no end to the fight” outside semiconductor site.
The union members’ vote on the tentative wage agreement derived by Samsung Electronics labor and management has begun. However, the labor-on-labor conflicts in Samsung electronics are deepening ahead of the vote by union members.
This is because the conflicts over the performance bonus gap between business units and divisions continues. In particular, while employees in some divisions with smaller bonuses are raising their voices to secure last-minute voting rights and cast opposing votes, the Ultra-enterprise Union, which actually leads the strike, has stated that they do not have voting rights, adding to the conflict.
While the industry views the possibility of passage as high given that it contains practical improvements in treatment and the largest union members in semiconductor division in DS Unit largely agree on the wage scheme, there is also a perspective that it is difficult to predict the outcome due to significant opposition centered around certain business divisions.
According to the industry on May 22, the joint struggle headquarters, consisting of the Samsung Electronics Ultra-enterprise Union and the National Samsung Electronics Union, is conducting a vote to determine whether to accept the tentative wage agreement from 10:00 a.m. on May 22 to 10:00 a.m. to May 27.
The eligible voters total 87,136, combining 70,850 from the Ultra-enterprise Union and 16,286 from the National Samsung Electronics Union aside with . This figure exceeds half of the approximately 130,000 total executives and employees at Samsung Electronics. The vote is being conducted through a 100% mobile electronic voting method, considering the environment of the semiconductor worksite where 24-hour shift work takes place, as well as nationwide worksites. The union plans to extend the voting period if necessary to secure a valid voter turnout.
Currently, the industry atmosphere leans toward the passage of the agreement. This is because a high percentage of union members belong to the semiconductor division in Device Solution (DS) Unit, and fatigue in the field has accumulated during the negotiation process that spanned several months. The inclusion of practical compensation plans in the agreement, such as the abolition of the upper limit on special performance bonuses and the expansion of the wage increase rate, is also considered a positive factor.
However, it is difficult to say that the atmosphere has completely leaned toward approval. Voices of opposition to the agreement are emerging, centered around the Device eXperience (DX) Unit, which is in charge of smartphones and home appliances, and the non-memory semiconductor business divisions in the DS Unit. Their dissatisfaction is significant, as the performance bonus payment structure is organized favorably for the memory division in the DS Unit, with the performance bonus gap between divisions expected to reach 10 times, leading to strong complaints from employees in the Device eXperience (DX) Unit and non-memory employees within the DS Unit.
Some employees have raised their voices to secure last-minute voting rights and cast opposing votes, and confusion between unions over voting eligibility is also occurring.
On May 21, employees of the DX Unit joined the Samsung Electronics Labor Union Donghaeng (hereafter the Donghaeng Union), a union centered on the DX Unit, in large numbers.
The number of Donghaeng Union members, which was at the level of around 2,600, increased nearly fivefold to about 12,000 as of the afternoon of May 22. The Donghaeng Union is a union centered on employees belonging to the DX Unit.
However, confusion grew as Choi Seung-ho, the head of the largest union, the Samsung Electronics Branch of the Ultra-enterprise Union (hereafter the Ultra-enterprise Union), informed the Donghaeng Union of the message that “We are under legal review, but based on what has been currently confirmed, we have verified that the Donghaeng Labor Union does not have voting rights as it has terminated its participation in the joint bargaining delegation.”
The Ultra-enterprise Union explains that because the 2026 tentative wage agreement is an agreement signed between the management and the ‘joint bargaining delegation,’ Donghaeng Union, which did not participate in the joint bargaining delegation, does not have voting rights.
Previously, the Donghaeng Union had formed the joint struggle headquarters (hereafter the joint struggle headquarters) with the Ultra-enterprise Union and the National Samsung Electronics Union and had been conducting negotiations with the management, but it withdrew from the joint struggle headquarters citing that the opinions of the DX division employees were not being reflected.
As inquiries and doubts from union members grew, the Donghaeng side posted relevant contents on its website, stating, “In the shared emails sent by the Ultra-enterprise Union on May 20 and 21, they informed us, ‘We ask each union to vote on the 2026 tentative wage agreement. We request that the union member register be aligned based on the register as of 14:00 on May 21. The Ultra-enterprise Union will fully respect the voting rights of each union.’”
They added, “Our union has completed all preparations to listen to the opinions of the DX Unit union members,” and “The Ultra-enterprise Union is creating a crisis that will once again make the voices of the DX Unit disappear through a unilateral notification. We hope that a more fair and legitimate voting result can be derived by reflecting the precious opinions of the DX Unit.”
This is practically interpreted to mean that they will proceed with the vote as scheduled, contrary to the statements of the Ultra-enterprise Union.
On May 22, the executive branch of the Suwon chapter of the National Samsung Electronics Union and the Donghaeng Union hold a press conference at the main gate of the Samsung Electronics Suwon Campus at 11:50 a.m. to announce the DX side’s position on the tentative agreement.
However, there is also a possibility that the joint struggle headquarters will not reflect the Donghaeng side’s results after the vote closes. Assuming that the Ultra-enterprise Union and the National Samsung Electronics Union, whose personnel are practically mostly from the semiconductor business division, cast majority approval votes, the possibility of rejection appears slim even if Donghaeng Union members (11,172) oppose it against the combined union members totaling 101,075 (including duplicates) of the Ultra-enterprise Union (70,850) and the National Samsung Electronics Union (19,053).
Labor-on-labor conflicts between business Units and business devisions are expected to continue even during the vote on the tentative agreement.
This tentative agreement is finally confirmed with the voting participation of a majority of enrolled union members and the approval of a majority of the participating union members. If it is rejected because the approval rate fails to reach a majority, the existing agreement will be nullified, and labor and management must proceed with renegotiation from scratch. If the negotiations break down again afterward, the union can engage in legitimate industrial action and strikes after going through the mediation process of the Labor Relations Commission.
Jung Suk-yee
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