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Chair Choi Seung-ho to face confidence vote on the 17th of next month
Samsung Electronics (005930)’s cross-company union will reorganize negotiations into a two-track system, separating talks for the Semiconductor (DS) division and the Finished Products (DX) division. The union says it will form dedicated negotiating teams for each business unit to better reflect members’ demands, given the clear differences in issues and performance between the divisions.
On the 28th, the Samsung Electronics branch of the cross-company union said Chair Choi Seung-ho notified members with a statement titled “Guidance on Future Negotiations and Union Operations” outlining the reforms. The core change is a divided negotiation executive: the union plans to operate separate teams — five members for DS and three for DX.
The DS executive team will concentrate on assessing the business condition of underperforming units such as System LSI and the foundry operations. It will push the company to present a clear roadmap for returning those units to profitability. The team also plans to meet directly with members of the CSS business team, who handle power semiconductors and said they were sidelined during the 2026 talks, to review the business’ future and negotiate improvements to their treatment.
For DX, the union will appoint two additional dedicated executives to create a separate structure focused on shop-floor demands. The union said it will allow participation from other unions in DX negotiations to gather a broader range of frontline views on improving working conditions.
The cross-company union also unveiled leadership reforms tied to the recently approved 2026 wage agreement. Although the tentative deal passed with an 80% approval rate, the union acknowledged lingering disappointment among members and said it will address those concerns.
In particular, Chair Choi issued an official apology for inappropriate and reckless remarks he made during negotiations — comments such as “I’ll help you move to foundries” and “I can’t handle DX.” To obtain an objective assessment, the union will hold a vote of confidence for the chair on the 17th of next month.
Choi said, “I will humbly accept the members’ decision,” and added, “Going forward, the cross-company union will reorganize around two pillars — preparing for the 2027 wage and collective bargaining process and operating the separated DS/DX structure — and we will do our utmost to secure satisfactory results in the next negotiations.”
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