The Device Experience (DX) division labor union of Samsung Electronics plans to hold an indefinite protest near the home of Chairman Lee Jae-yong, demanding resolution of compensation disparities. Business leaders have reacted, stating that it is inappropriate to request renegotiation after wage negotiations, member votes, and court rulings have already concluded.
According to labor sources, the union will hold a launch ceremony on the 18th and continue protests and individual demonstrations near Lee's residence in Yongsan, Seoul.
A union representative stated, "We plan to conduct the protest long-term without a set end date," adding that on days when they cannot file for a protest, they will continue with individual demonstrations.
The union claims that during the wage negotiations agreed upon in May, the DX division was sidelined, and the compensation gap with the Device Solutions (DS) division, which handles semiconductors, is excessive.
They are demanding: 1,000 shares of company stock per DX employee, a common fund based on a certain percentage of overall performance, and uniform application of base salary increases across the company.
Last month, they also held a protest near Samsung's Seocho office in Gangnam, arguing that declining profitability is due to management failures and requesting communication with executives regarding the DX division's demands.
Business leaders criticize the demand for 1,000 shares per employee as unreasonable, especially given the current management crisis in the DX division. They point out that after the government-mediated wage negotiations were concluded, the union's late collective action lacks justification.
Furthermore, they emphasize that the union participated in joint negotiations since December but did not formally raise additional compensation or stock distribution for the DX division during the more than five months of negotiations. The union withdrew from the joint negotiation team in May, citing that the DX division's issues were not adequately reflected.
However, the demand for 1,000 shares was formally raised only after the wage agreement was finalized. Business leaders believe that requesting issues that could have been discussed during negotiations after an agreement has been reached undermines the order of negotiations and agreements.
Additionally, the 2026 wage agreement was approved by 73.7% of union members in a vote and is currently in effect. The union's request for a suspension of the provisional agreement and a halt to wage and collective negotiations was also dismissed by the court.
Consequently, business leaders argue that the wage agreement, which has gone through negotiations, voting, and judicial procedures, should be respected.
Moreover, the demand for 1,000 shares per DX employee is estimated to require approximately 12.83 trillion won. Business leaders view the uniform distribution of shares unrelated to performance as a potential violation of performance-based compensation principles, which could lead to legal risks for the company and shareholders. Given the current management conditions in the DX division, they believe it is more important to focus on restoring business competitiveness and performance rather than large-scale additional compensation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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