Samsung Electronics Union Threatens Walkout Next Week

A Samsung Electronics union in Seoul, South Korea, will be going on strike next week if their proposed terms aren’t met.

According to Reuters, the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) makes up more than one-fifth of the company’s workforce and totals around 28,000 members. The union plans to stop work for one day, on June 7, as part of what they’re calling “broader protest measures.”

“We can no longer tolerate labour repression, union repression,” read a sign held up by the union during a livestream announcement of the walkout.

It would be the first time in the company’s history that the union will have staged a walkout if it does occur.

NSEU is campaigning for a 5.1% increase in wages, in addition to an additional day off in annual leave and a transparent bonus structure. On Wednesday, the union “accused the tech giant of failing to bring a compromise plan to negotiations held the previous day.”

In response, Samsung Electronics made a statement saying, “We will sincerely engage in discussions with the union.”

Despite the looming threat of a walkout, Samsung recently enjoyed a spate of positive press thanks to the company’s sustainable efforts, specifically by reusing wastewater in its chip manufacturing.

Samsung Semiconductor is preparing to increase its production lines as the demand for semiconductors rises due to the worldwide chip shortage. However, this growth will result in a significant water demand, which is expected to more than double by 2030.

Samsung is employing a novel strategy to address this issue: recycling wastewater. The tech giant intends to cleanse an astounding 400 million liters (105.668 million gallons) of wastewater every day for the purpose of manufacturing chips, marking a big step toward sustainability.

This discharge, which comes from the sewage system in the area, will be treated thoroughly at Samsung’s Hwaseong facility. Every drop will be cleared of contaminants through many rounds of filtering and purification to guarantee that it satisfies the exacting requirements needed for semiconductor manufacturing.

By supporting this endeavor, Samsung hopes to reduce its need for freshwater resources considerably and help with larger water conservation initiatives.

Samsung’s dedication to sustainable production sets a new benchmark in a sector that is sometimes criticized for its negative effects on the environment. Using wastewater not only meets urgent water demands but also demonstrates a progressive attitude toward environmental responsibility.