Samsung Strike Temporarily Postponed; Labor Minister Says Both Sides Haven't Given Up on Dialogue

(CNA, Seoul, May 20) Samsung Electronics and its labor union reached a tentative agreement on wage negotiations on the eve of a strike. Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon stated that both sides did not give up on dialogue until the very end. The Samsung Electronics union announced that the strike, originally scheduled to begin tomorrow, will be temporarily postponed. According to Yonhap News Agency, concerns over national economic impact had escalated, including potential losses of up to 100 trillion KRW (approximately 2.2 trillion TWD) and damage to the semiconductor ecosystem and supply chain if a Samsung strike were to occur. This prompted active government mediation, leading to a resolution where both labor and management took a step back to find a solution through dialogue. Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon, who personally participated in the negotiations this afternoon, said after the meeting, "Both labor and management took a step back and found a solution to the problem. Both sides did not give up on dialogue until the end, ultimately reaching a tentative agreement through autonomous negotiation." Kim noted that while points of contention still exist, the gap has narrowed significantly. "In terms of distribution methods, the company has principles it cannot concede, and the union has its own stance, but ultimately both sides took a step back and found a solution," Kim said, emphasizing that the government has always maintained the principle that problems should be resolved through dialogue. Kim stated that after the second round of post-dispute coordination failed this morning, the government had to find a way to maintain dialogue and understand the reasons. "After inquiring about the intentions of both labor and management, we determined that both sides still had a strong will to talk." Following this agreement, the Samsung Electronics union announced to its members that the strike planned from May 21 to June 7 will be temporarily postponed until further notice. The union also stated that it will hold a vote on the tentative agreement from 2 p.m. on the 22nd to 10 a.m. on the 27th. The tentative agreement will only take effect after being approved by the vote. If the union vote passes, the labor-management conflict at Samsung Electronics, which has lasted for about five months, will officially come to an end.