Samsung Electronics employees to resume work after 25-day walkout

Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics will return to work on Monday, 25 days after launching a full-scale walkout over compensation disputes. However, the walkout will continue on an irregular schedule.

The National Samsung Electronics Union holds a news conference in front of Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong's residence in central Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics will return to work on Monday, 25 days after launching a full-scale walkout over compensation disputes. However, the walkout will continue on an irregular schedule.

The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the largest union at Samsung Electronics representing about 24 percent of the work force, announced the decision on Thursday evening.

"The strategy needs to shift to maintain pressure on management while reducing the financial burden on union members," NSEU said during a YouTube stream on Thursday evening.

It added that, since the strike is ongoing due to unsuccessful negotiations with management, they are adopting a “sustainable” strategy.

The union is seeking a 5.6 percent wage increase, compared to the management's offer of 5.1 percent, along with an additional 2 million points for use on the company's internal shopping platform.

The strike, which began on July 8, marked the first full-scale walkout in Samsung Electronics' history. Despite intense negotiations from July 29 to 31, no agreement was reached.

The strike raised concerns about potential production disruptions at Samsung's chip facilities, as most NSEU members are known to be from the semiconductor division. However, Samsung Electronics reported no disruptions during its earnings call on July 31.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]