Sommaire
There’s a saying in Korea that when Samsung coughs, so does the whole of Korea. This saying represents the weight of the Korean company in the country’s economy. Asia’s largest company, the biggest conglomerate in the land of the bright morning, the company that alone accounts for over 20% of Korean GDP, saw the first strike in Samsung’s history on June 7, 2024.
So, in France, a strike seems more trivial, we’re more used to it, but what is this first strike for the 3-star company? What is this paradigm shift, why is it so inconsequential, and what’s next? I’ll tell you all about it in this article.
During the country’s development
The Korean Chaebols were a key element in the development of South Korea in the aftermath of the Korean War. Even today, they play a vital role in the country’s economic development and international influence.
Samsung quickly became the country’s largest conglomerates. This gave it a prime position in negotiations with the country’s leaders, who were keen to develop the country’s economy internationally.
The South Korean government plays an important role in the development of the company, protecting it from competition, with strong financial support, land, tax reductions…
A call to stop working
The first majority union in the electronics branch of the country’s largest conglomerate has called for a work stoppage on June 7, 2024.
This call for a strike by Samsung was intended to denounce the “repression” they had suffered at the hands of the South Korean tech flagship.
According to a report in The Korean Herald, “This is the first ever strike at Samsung in the tech giant’s fifty-year history.”
This movement is considered historic, as Samsung has long opposed the unionization of these employees, and is accused of anti-union practices.
The reasons for the strike at Samsung :
Social dialogue :
The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), which represents more than a fifth of the company’s 28,000 employees, is calling for nothing less than better social dialogue within Samsung.
According to the same union, the group’s management is ignoring attempts at negotiation and making unilateral decisions.
Salary and benefits
The union (NSEU) is not satisfied with the 5.1% annual increase proposed by the group, but is calling for more, including an extra day of annual leave, performance-based bonuses and greater transparency.
A French turning point?
are we seeing a turning point on the bright morning side? The first fréves of the country’s largest company are not so insignificant in the country.
Finally, after the miracle of the Han River and the Korean economic miracle, aren’t the Korean people in the process of taking on a French operation?
Following the national mobilizations and dictatorship of the 80s, during which the country was forced to move forward. The promise was, in a way, “you work hard, you help develop the country, and democracy and rest and social benefits… we’ll see later…”.
the new willingness to unionize in South Korea could well change things for the country. After the sacrifices made by the older generation in exchange for the country’s rapid growth, the new generation is complaining about excessive working hours, and sometimes too much hierarchy and segmenting of roles, which is less and less well understood within the country’s companies.
Future developments?
Will we see a French model emerge in South Korea? In the post-war years, we had the 30 glorious years, strong growth, and then strong trade union demands, struggles and the establishment, thanks to these struggles, of social rights, openness and better protection for the people, workers and employees.
Korea, for its part, will emerge from its economic miracle to realize that life is not just about work. The omnipresence of the latter, among other things, has contributed to a dangerous drop in birth rates in South Korea.
Will we see the emergence of a part of the population that protests, goes on strike, and seeks to reduce the gap between the well-off and the most popular?
Leave a Reply