Samsung Biopharmaceuticals Union to hold three-week general strike

The Samsung Biologics union will hold a three-week general strike starting on October 26. Before the general strike, the union will also step up its fight for work according to regulations. Previously, the union had passed guidelines requiring its members not to work overtime, including holiday shifts. Management expressed concerns but stressed it would keep channels of dialogue open with a view to reaching a forward-looking agreement.

The Samsung Biopharmaceuticals Union announced through its struggle guidelines on October 2 that it would start a three-week second general strike on October 26. Previously, Samsung Biologics’ labor and management failed to reach an agreement on wages and a collective bargaining agreement even after the third mediation hosted by the Incheon Local Labor Relations Committee. This is because labor and management cannot narrow their differences on issues such as wage growth.

After the third adjustment, the management maintained the original 6.2% basic salary increase. In addition, management has also proposed a plan to support the benefits of employee share capital increases. Management explained that taking into account this additional proposal, each employee will receive an average financial benefit of more than 5 million won (approximately NT$120,000).

A union representative claimed that in the three rounds of post-mediation meetings, the union always kept an open attitude to negotiations and avoided collective action. However, at the third post-mediation meeting on October 1, the company still insisted on a 6.2% wage increase in March and ultimately failed to propose any practical solutions. The representative later explained that the union will once again increase the intensity of collective action and launch a second general strike to strive for a wage and collective bargaining agreement in 2026.

Management has made it clear that it cannot accept the wage increase proposed by the union. Previously, the union had demanded a 9.5% increase in basic salary, an additional payment of 3 million won (NT$70,000), the establishment of incentive bonuses and performance bonuses, and participation in the personnel system. However, company management said it will keep the lines of dialogue open to reach a forward-looking agreement on wages and collective bargaining agreements.