Samsung Electronics' Device Experience (DX) division union has begun a sit-in protest outside the home of Chairman Lee Jae-Yong, demanding direct dialogue with him.
On September 18, the Donghaeng Union, representing employees from the DX division, held a launch ceremony in front of Lee's residence in Yongsan, Seoul, and initiated an indefinite relay sit-in. About 40 union members attended the event.
The union stated, "We have raised our voices in Suwon and Seocho, and even in New York's Times Square, but the company has yet to establish a proper dialogue table with us." They called for the establishment of a dialogue platform to speak directly with Chairman Lee.
Tensions are high between the DX and Device Solutions (DS) divisions regarding next year's wage negotiations. The largest union at Samsung Electronics, the Samsung Group's Enterprise Union, which focuses on the DS division, has announced plans to negotiate separately from the DX division starting in 2027.
The Donghaeng Union opposes this move and demands a joint negotiation structure for both divisions. They argue that a certain percentage of overall performance should be pooled as common resources to address the compensation disparities that have arisen based on divisional performance.
As a result, key issues in next year's wage negotiations are expected to include not only the wage increase rate but also the negotiation structure and performance distribution methods. With differing interests regarding divisional performance and compensation levels, coordination among unions is necessary before labor negotiations commence.
The Donghaeng Union also demanded answers from the company regarding allegations of a so-called "union blacklist," which suggests that employees' personal information was shared internally. The union asserted, "The company must clarify the extent of the damage, the circumstances of the leak, the scope of information usage, and subsequent measures." They also revealed that over 15,000 petitions for severe punishment against the chairman of the Enterprise Union, Choi Seung-ho, have been prepared.
The Donghaeng Union plans to activate a task force for labor-management negotiations after the upcoming chairperson election on September 28. They aim to solidify their demands from the DX division while pushing for a joint negotiation structure.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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