Will Samsung Electronics Workers Go on Strike? Key Details on the Pyeongtaek Campus Negotiations
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[Anchor] This morning, post-mediation talks between the union and management collapsed, raising the prospect of a full-scale strike. Both sides held firm but said they would continue efforts to resolve the dispute. We now go to our reporter at Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus, Gu Harim. [Reporter] I’m reporting from outside Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus. If talks fail today, some workers here could join a walkout as soon as tomorrow. For now, both sides are taking a wait-and-see approach. The post-mediation process that began the day before yesterday collapsed this morning. The two sides were unable to bridge their differences over how much performance pay to allocate to loss-making divisions. The union demanded that 70% of the performance-pay pool be split equally among all employees, with the remaining 30% distributed to divisions based on performance. Management rejected the proposal, saying it would violate merit-based principles and arguing that rewards should go to units that deliver results. The union said it had accepted the Central Labor‑Management Committee’s mediation proposal but that the company refused and expressed regret. The company responded that accepting what it called the union’s excessive demands would undermine basic management principles. Earlier, the union said it would go on strike as scheduled tomorrow, increasing the likelihood of a work stoppage. But after both sides resumed talks, attention shifted to the possibility of a last-minute agreement. Both sides say they will continue seeking a resolution, and observers are watching closely to see whether government mediation can yield a deal. Reporting from Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus. [Live connection: Moon Joo-hyung] Yonhap News TV – For story tips and inquiries: KakaoTalk/LINE jebo23; Gu Harim (halimkoo@yna.co.kr)
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