SEOUL, May 26 (AJP) - A labor union representing Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience (DX) division filed a court injunction on Tuesday to halt an ongoing vote on a tentative wage agreement, highlighting a deepening internal conflict among the tech giant's labor groups.
The "Donghaeng" union submitted the request to the Suwon District Court, accusing the larger "Enterprise Union" of unlawfully stripping its members of their voting rights.
During a press conference ahead of the filing, Donghaeng representatives stated that the larger union abruptly revoked their voting rights on the evening of May 21, shortly after repeatedly asking them to participate in the vote. The minority union argued that excluding a participating member of the joint bargaining group is legally impermissible.
Donghaeng claims the exclusion stems from the larger union's concerns over the DX division's growing influence. Membership in the Donghaeng union has recently surged from approximately 2,600 to over 13,000.
The likelihood of the court intervening in time appears low, as the voting period is set to close on Wednesday. A court hearing would need to take place on Tuesday, a timeline legal observers note is practically difficult. However, Donghaeng representatives expressed hope that the court might expedite the process given the urgency of the matter.
If the voting concludes before a court ruling is issued, the Donghaeng union plans to file a separate injunction to suspend the validity of the finalized agreement.
The legal action underscores a growing "union-versus-union" dispute within Samsung Electronics, as non-memory and DX employees actively campaign to reject the tentative wage deal.
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