Samsung – thousands of employees threaten to go on strike

At the event, employees displayed banners and posters criticizing Samsung, in addition to chanting such as “make remuneration transparent and remove maximum limits on bonuses!”. Among the main demands were the end of limits on variable payments and greater clarity in distribution criteria.

The union, which represents around 74 thousand company employees, estimates that approximately 40 thousand people participated in the protest. The event had a police presence, but authorities did not release official numbers.

Dissatisfaction arises at a time of strong financial performance for the company. Samsung projects record operating profit in the first quarter, driven by the global race for artificial intelligence infrastructure, which has driven up demand for memory chips.

Despite this, worker representatives say that gains are not being adequately reflected in salaries and bonuses. The company’s proposal, which includes compensation in restricted shares, was rejected by the union.

If there is no agreement, workers threaten to start a strike of up to 18 days from May 21st. According to union estimates, a strike of this size could generate losses of more than 1 trillion won per day (around R$3.3 billion).

The protest coincided with the release of historic results from SK Hynix, Samsung’s main competitor in the memory segment. The company reported record revenue and operating profit in the first quarter, also driven by the advancement of AI and increased investment in data centers.

According to the Euronews Together, Samsung and SK Hynix account for around two-thirds of global memory chip production, which makes any instability relevant to the global technology chain.

Despite the positive scenario, there are factors of uncertainty. The conflict in the Middle East has raised concerns about the supply of strategic inputs, such as helium, essential for the manufacture of semiconductors. Even so, SK Hynix executives minimized immediate impacts.