Otherwise, they could face massive fines, dealing a major blow to the unions' plans just days before a deadline for their unprecedented level of strike.
The Suwon District Court partially granted an injunction sought by management at Samsung Electronics. While the court did not block the strike itself, it ordered that operations essential to disaster prevention, exhaust and drainage systems, and the prevention of semiconductor wafer damage must continue at normal capacity.
To enforce compliance, the court set steep penalties: the two major unions could face fines of 100 million won (US$74,000) per day, while union leaders could be fined 10 million won per day, if they disrupt these essential operations through physical force, threats, or internal directives.
Following the ruling, the electronics giant issued an internal notice to employees, warning them not to be misled by the union's efforts to downplay the court's order.
It also strongly criticized the union's claim that only minimum weekend-level staffing would be required during the strike, saying the court clearly ordered normal staffing levels at key facilities.
"The court's ruling clearly requires regular staffing levels, whether on weekdays, weekends or holidays," the company said. "Safety and security operations must be fully maintained."
It added that employees in affected departments would be individually notified of their work requirements during the strike, in accordance with the court's order.
Now that it has secured key legal protections to ensure uninterrupted semiconductor production, the company said it still prefers to resolve the wage-related dispute through negotiations.
"We will continue our efforts to ensure employees' safety and minimize disruptions at production sites," it said. "Regardless of the court's ruling, we will continue working toward an amicable settlement in wage negotiations."
Monday's ruling is likely to give the company the upper hand as both sides remain locked in weeks of stalled talks including government-mediated negotiations, just days before the May 21 strike deadline, and may help avert a full factory shutdown.
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