Translation result
Samsung labor and management resume talks at 10 a.m. today to seek final common ground
Negotiations continue even one day before the general strike…’Marathon talks’ top 50 hours
One key issue remains unresolved…All eyes on whether they reach a dramatic deal
With one day left before a planned general strike, Samsung Electronics’ labor and management have entered what amounts to a final, last-ditch negotiation. They held overnight talks that ran past midnight without reaching an agreement. Both sides agreed to reconvene at 10 a.m. on the 20th at the Central Labor Relations Commission (CLRC). The session could represent a final effort to avert the strike.
The company and the union will resume the second post-adjustment mediation at the CLRC in the Sejong Government Complex. Mediation has been under way since the previous morning, but negotiators missed an effective deadline around 10 p.m. and continued bargaining past midnight into the early hours before adjourning. They set the talks to resume at 10 a.m.
Choi Seung-ho, chair of the Samsung Electronics branch of the Samsung Group Federation of Trade Unions, said in the early morning that the mediation had been adjourned and would resume at 10 a.m., and that the federation would remain at the CLRC ready to participate.
According to the CLRC, the two sides remain divided over one core issue. Samsung plans to finalize its internal position by the morning, and CLRC officials said they may present a mediation proposal to conclude talks if the parties fail to reach an agreement.
Park Soo-geun, chairman of the CLRC, said, “We have issued a CLRC mediation proposal,” and added, “On the 20th we will decide whether the final outcome will be an agreement or a mediation proposal. Because they could not agree, we are preparing to issue a proposal; talks are currently paused.” If the mediation yields a tentative agreement, the union plans to hold a vote of all members in accordance with its internal rules.
This session is widely seen as the last substantive round of negotiations before the union’s planned general strike on the 21st. If the parties reach a settlement or accept the CLRC’s mediation proposal, the strike could be averted. If talks collapse, however, the strike — potentially the largest in Samsung’s history — could proceed.
The main sticking point centers on restructuring the performance bonus system. The union is demanding that 15% of operating profit from the semiconductor (DS) division be set aside as a bonus pool and divided 70% for division-wide distribution and 30% allocated by individual business units. The company argues that awarding loss-making units bonuses on par with profitable units would undermine internal equity and the performance-based pay system.
Observers say the marathon talks that stretched past midnight suggest both sides are still searching for compromise rather than accepting outright failure. During the prior session, Park Soo-geun indicated that agreement on some issues was possible, leaving room for a settlement. He has also urged negotiations to aim at preventing a strike, signaling the prospect of further bargaining.
The talks have attracted intense attention because the government and business leaders mobilized to mediate. President Lee Jae-myung has emphasized balancing labor rights with management authority, and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok warned that emergency arbitration powers could be invoked if a strike drags on. Six major business associations issued a joint statement urging the union to call off the general strike, warning it poses a risk to the national economy rather than being solely a Samsung issue.
Negotiations have become protracted. Combining the ongoing second post-adjustment mediation with the earlier session, the parties have logged more than 50 hours of talks. With the talks taking place one day before the planned strike, corporate leaders are watching closely to see whether the 10 a.m. session will produce a dramatic breakthrough or allow the strike to go forward.
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