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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] As Samsung Electronics faces the prospect of its largest-ever strike, controversy is mounting after the head of its leading union reportedly left for a week-long vacation in Southeast Asia.
According to industry sources on the 28th, Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union, recently departed on an overseas trip.
The union, with approximately 74,000 members, is the company’s only majority labor organization and the largest within the joint struggle committee formed by multiple Samsung unions. Around 40,000 members attended a strike rally held on April 23, where Choi warned that an 18-day strike could inflict up to KRW 30 trillion in losses.
The union has demanded performance-based bonuses equivalent to 15% of annual operating profit—around KRW 45 trillion—and has announced plans for a general strike from May 21 to June 7.
Amid these developments, criticism has emerged even within the union, questioning the timing of the chairman’s absence with less than a month remaining before the planned strike. Posts on internal employee forums called for leadership presence during a critical period, with some arguing that key decisions or preparations should precede any extended leave.
Earlier, Kim Jung-kwan warned that a strike in the semiconductor sector could have serious long-term consequences, noting that once competitiveness is lost, recovery is often difficult.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
