[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] As the general strike led by the National Samsung Electronics Union, the largest union at Samsung Electronics, enters its second week, the number of participants in the union's rallies has significantly decreased to around 200 people.
According to industry sources on the 15th, negotiations between Samsung Electronics management and the National Samsung Electronics Union have not yet resumed, and there have been no separate talks aimed at reaching a settlement.
The National Samsung Electronics Union has set the goal of causing 'production disruptions' for this general strike and has been holding promotional rallies at production sites.
However, the scale of the rallies has been steadily decreasing. On the 8th of this month, during the initial general strike resolution meeting, thousands of participants were reported (estimated 4000-5000 by the union, and 3000 by the police). This number dropped to around 350 participants (union estimate) on the 11th, and further reduced to around 200 participants (union estimate) on the 12th. The union plans to hold rallies at key sites such as the Giheung Campus on the 15th, the Hwaseong Campus on the 16th, and the Onyang Campus, to appeal for more participation in the strike and increase pressure on management.
There are also voices suggesting that it may be challenging for the union to sustain the strike for an extended period. If negotiations are not concluded by August, the union's status as the primary negotiating union will be lost, leading to the possibility of separate negotiations by the five individual unions under the Labor Union Act.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
