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President Lee Jae-myung said on the 20th, “It’s understandable that some unions use their rights to organize and to take collective action to press for their interests, but there should be appropriate limits.”
His remark drew attention because critics raised it after wage negotiations between Samsung Electronics and its union collapsed, even after the post-adjustment mediation process failed to produce an agreement.
In opening remarks at a Cabinet meeting and emergency economic council he chaired at the Blue House, the president said, “We sometimes provide special protections for the socially vulnerable, but solidarity and responsibility are also very important principles that guide the three labor rights.”
He added, “The three labor rights exist to protect socially vulnerable workers, not to give groups the power to force through measures that benefit only a few.”
He warned, “Companies involve many stakeholders. Workers deserve fair compensation, but creditors must be able to recover debts, consumers must be protected, and related business ecosystems must be preserved. Unions should not cross the line to advance only their own interests.” He reiterated, “Investors bear risks and losses, so they legitimately have the right to share in profits. It is investors and shareholders who receive distributions of operating profit.”
He criticized, “The government cuts taxes, supports facilities, reforms systems, and uses diplomatic efforts to help certain companies grow and develop. Operating profits—which can be viewed as part of the public’s share—cannot be distributed institutionally at a fixed rate before taxes; investors do not have that prerogative. Investors receive dividends only after taxes. I cannot understand that.”
He added, “Ultimately, the government bears final responsibility for these adjustments. The government’s role is to ensure that members of society respect appropriate limits and exercise their rights within those bounds.”
Meanwhile, the Samsung Electronics union said that because the company rejected the mediation proposal, mediation has ended and the union will begin a full strike tomorrow.
In a press statement, Choi Seung-ho, chair of the Samsung Electronics branch of the Trans-Corporate Labor Union, said, “The union participated in the three days of post-adjustment mediation in good faith and did its best to find common ground. Around 10 p.m. on May 19, the union ‘agreed’ to the mediation proposal presented by the Central Labor Relations Commission, but the company indicated it would reject it. The union will lawfully begin a full strike tomorrow as planned, and we will continue to pursue a settlement during the strike.” Samsung Electronics said it “deeply regrets” the end of post-adjustment mediation and reiterated that there must not be a strike under any circumstances.
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