The National Samsung Electronics Labor Union (NSEU) has announced a work stoppage, allowing its member employees to take vacation leave together. NSEU stated that it has up to 28,000 members and due to the inability to reach a consensus on compensation. While the work stoppage may seem intense, the designated day off is Friday, June 7th, a mid-week workday sandwiched between the government holidays on June 6th and the weekend, indicating the company should anticipate a significant number of employees taking vacation leave.
NSEU has been protesting since May 24th but has been unable to reach a mutual agreement. The labor union requested a 6.5% increase in wages, yet Samsung seems inclined to only offer a 5.1% hike. Consequently, NSEU rejected the proposal and demanded Samsung calculate from their Operating Profit instead.
Despite NSEU claiming a substantial membership, they cannot confirm how many employees will actually take part in the work stoppage since each member has the autonomy to decide to use their leave entitlement. It remains up to each employee to decide if their absence is a form of protest against the company.
Lee Hoon-gook, the Deputy Secretary-General of the labor union, mentioned that this is just the beginning of symbolic actions. If Samsung continues to refuse negotiations, there may be full-scale protests in the future.
TLDR: NSEU calls for a work stoppage due to failed negotiations with Samsung regarding wage increases, as employees plan to take vacation leave together. Potential future protests may escalate if Samsung doesn’t engage in discussions.
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