Translation result.
Members challenge strike push and rule changes… “Leadership failed to reflect members’ views,” they say
Internal backlash grows over bonus distribution and proposed union dues increase
Union infighting surfaces ahead of planned general strike
Internal dissent within the cross-company branch of the Samsung Electronics union — the company’s largest labor organization — has surfaced publicly. Some members have filed complaints with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, alleging procedural flaws in the union leadership’s handling of strike planning and bargaining processes.
According to industry sources on May 19, several members recently submitted a petition to the labor ministry requesting administrative guidance and corrective measures for the union’s operations and negotiation procedures. They contend that the vote to call a general strike and the process for amending union rules were inconsistent with the union’s bylaws and the intent of labor law.
The dispute focuses on strike procedures, the bonus negotiation proposal, and internal governance. The petitioners say the union moved forward on strike-related agenda items without providing adequate notice for a general meeting, and that certain rule changes transferred authority over setting dues and other powers to the leadership.
Members also raised objections to the proposed bonus distribution. They argue the union maintained a demand centered on the Device Solutions (DS) division, which handles semiconductors, while failing to sufficiently account for the concerns of other business units. Samsung has seen ongoing disputes internally over how bonus pools should be allocated among divisions.
Remarks by union leaders have also come under scrutiny. The petitioners say previous comments suggesting possible penalties for workers who did not cooperate with strike actions could be perceived as pressuring members. “Procedural fairness and representativeness have been undermined in the union’s operations,” they said, warning that prolonged conflict could deepen internal divisions. They have already filed for an injunction to suspend the effect of the union’s bargaining demands; a related hearing is scheduled for May 20.
Industry analysts say the labor dispute at Samsung Electronics risks spilling beyond routine wage negotiations into broader internal union conflict, which could weaken the union’s bargaining leverage going forward.
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