[The Public=Reporter Yang Won-mo] Shin Je-yoon, chairman of the board at Samsung Electronics, urged employees to resolve issues through dialogue. With the Samsung union signaling a potential company-wide strike, the board chair posted his message directly on the company’s internal bulletin board.
On the 6th, business sources said Shin wrote on the internal board the day before that recent developments have raised concerns among shareholders, customers and many citizens. He said he feels a heavy responsibility as board chair and apologized for the worry caused.
Shin warned that if the labor dispute escalates into a strike, both the company and the union would suffer. In the worst case, both sides could lose their footing: business competitiveness would decline, customer trust would erode, and shareholders and investors could face losses with serious repercussions for the national economy.
He highlighted the nature of the semiconductor industry. “Semiconductors are a national foundational industry in which timing and customer trust are critical,” Shin said. “If development or production schedules slip or deliveries are missed, customers may turn to competitors, which would weaken our market position.”
The dispute centers on proposed changes to the performance bonus system. The union is demanding that management remove the cap on excess-profit incentives (OPI) and revise the calculation method; it has warned it may call a general strike if its demands are not met.
Shin said the economic fallout could be substantial if a strike occurs. He warned that massive strike-related losses and customer defections would erode the company’s value and inflict serious harm on shareholders, investors, employees and local communities. That could also weigh on the national economy through lower exports, reduced tax revenue and a decline in GDP.
He urged both sides to step back and engage in dialogue. “Now is the time for all employees to come together to secure sustainable growth amid relentless competition,” he said, adding that the issue should be resolved through sincere talks.
He called on both sides to work so the current conflict can lay the groundwork for a more constructive labor-management relationship, and pledged, “I will work closely with management, pool our collective judgment and do my utmost to resolve this issue.”
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