Samsung Bio Union's second strike begins on the 6th... “We need to find a solution”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Sang-hyun = Samsung BioLogics [207940] Win-Win Labor Union announced on the 4th that it will begin a second strike starting on the 6th due to the suspension of negotiations with the company.

In response, the company stated its position, saying, "We hope that labor and management will seek a reasonable solution based on mutual respect and trust."

The Samsung BioLogics union said that about 400 people will participate in this strike and that "we plan to expand the fair strike sequentially while adhering to the injunction decision."

The union explained that members of indirect support departments among QC testing, QA, logistics departments, and production departments will participate in the strike.

He added, “I would like to emphasize that the door to negotiation remains open even during the dispute.”

The Samsung BioLogics union has about 4,000 members, and the number of people participating in the strike on the 6th is expected to be around 10%.

Samsung BioLogics said, “We are continuing to open the window for dialogue to reach an amicable conclusion to the collective wage agreement, and there is no change in our will to reach an agreement through negotiation.”

He added, “However, in a situation where the union continues to take strong action, such as expanding the strike, it may be difficult to reach a constructive dialogue and agreement,” adding, “We will do our best to operate the process and maintain quality stability to prevent damage to patients and customers.”

The Samsung BioLogics union originally planned to hold a three-week general strike in late last month, but when the court significantly expanded the ban on industrial action from three to nine, it decided to postpone the strike and resume negotiations on the 3rd of this month.

However, on the 2nd, the management proposed a postponement of negotiations to restore trust, saying to the union, "You unilaterally denied the status of the company's representative negotiator, including demanding the complete exclusion and replacement of the company's representative negotiator," preventing both sides from sitting at the negotiating table.

The union expressed regret and announced a second strike that day.

Samsung BioLogics' labor and management have been in conflict for over half a year as they have not been able to agree on wage increases and personnel system improvements.

When mediation with the management broke down on March 23, the Samsung BioLogics union went on a partial strike in late April, followed by a full strike from May 1 to 5, and has continued to struggle to comply with the law by refusing to work overtime or on holidays.