A rally is being held in front of the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek Campus in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, by the Samsung Electronics Labor Union Joint Struggle Headquarters, with the slogan "Make it transparent, realize the abolition of the cap! April 23rd Struggle Resolution Rally." [Photo=Yonhap News]

The labor-management conflict at Samsung Electronics is reaching its peak. On the 23rd, an unprecedented scale of struggle resolution rally in Samsung Electronics' history was held near the Pyeongtaek business site in Gyeonggi Province, with an estimated 37,000 people in attendance, according to the union.

At the same time, shareholders held a counter-rally, arguing that the union's demands threaten the company's foundation.

The union stated on this day, "Although negotiations have been underway since last December, the management is trying to escape the situation with one-time compensation," demanding that "the allocation of performance-based bonuses equivalent to 15% of operating profit and the abolition of the cap be stipulated in writing." Furthermore, they increased the pressure by claiming that if a strike materializes, the company could suffer losses of 20 to 30 trillion won.

The shareholder group, "Korea Shareholder Movement Headquarters," raised their voices, saying, "With shareholder dividends amounting to 11 trillion won, demanding 40 trillion won in performance bonuses is difficult to understand," and "threatening to halt operations during the semiconductor boom is a direct harm to shareholders."

This situation is known to be taking on the aspect of a structural conflict over how to distribute the company's profits, going beyond a simple demand for wage increases.

On the 17th, Chairman Park Jae-sung held a press conference in front of the Samsung Electronics Seocho building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, stating, "We plan to have 30,000 to 40,000 people attend the general rally on the 23rd and proceed with a strike from May 21st to June 7th," adding, "If we go on strike for 18 days, it could result in losses of approximately 1 trillion won per day, totaling at least 20 to 30 trillion won." [Photo=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the civic group "Committee for the Welfare of the Common People" (Secretary-General Kim Soon-hwan) announced on the 22nd that it had filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Park Jae-sung, chairman of the Samsung Group Trans-Enterprise Union Sangsaeng Branch, and Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics Branch, for obstruction of business and threat.

They also filed a complaint against President Yoon Suk-yeol, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-ju, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang for dereliction of duty.

On the 17th, Chairman Park Jae-sung held a press conference in front of the Samsung Electronics Seocho building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, stating, "We plan to have 30,000 to 40,000 people attend the general rally on the 23rd and proceed with a strike from May 21st to June 7th," adding, "If we go on strike for 18 days, it could result in losses of approximately 1 trillion won per day, totaling at least 20 to 30 trillion won."

Furthermore, Chairman Choi Seung-ho stated on a YouTube broadcast, "We will manage a list of those who work for the company and do not participate in the strike."

In its complaint, the Committee for the Welfare of the Common People argued that the statement threatening billions of won in losses to the company through a strike constitutes an act of intimidation, and the intention to manage a list of those who do not participate in the strike amounts to a threat.

They also pointed out, "The demand for performance bonuses equivalent to approximately 40 trillion won, which is 15% of operating profit, is excessive," and "This level, which exceeds dividends and research and development costs, could place a significant burden on corporate management."

The Committee for the Welfare of the Common People also filed a complaint, stating that high-ranking government officials, including President Yoon Suk-yeol, failed to properly manage and supervise the movements of the Samsung Electronics union.

The Committee for the Welfare of the Common People argued, "While accompanying company chairmen on overseas tours as needed, they have remained indifferent to the predicted enormous damage from the announced Samsung union strike in May. This constitutes dereliction of duty due to a significant neglect of their duty of care as supervisors and overseers."

Reporter Lim Yo-hee