Samsung workers in South Korea stage first strike: union

Seoul: Workers at tech giant Samsung Electronics in South Korea staged the first strike at the company on Friday, the head of a major union representi...

Seoul: Workers at tech giant Samsung Electronics in South Korea staged the first strike at the company on Friday, the head of a major union representing tens of thousands of people said.

Samsung Electronics is one of the world's largest smartphone makers and also one of the only companies globally to produce high-end memory chips used for generative AI, including top-of-the-line artificial intelligence hardware from industry leaders such as Nvidia.

Management at the firm, the world's biggest producer of memory chips, has been locked in negotiations with the union over wages and benefits since January but the two sides have failed to narrow their differences.

Lee Hyun-kuk, vice president of the National Samsung Electronics Union, said Friday's collective action was "largely symbolic, but it's a beginning".

"We have plans for follow-up strikes if the management is not willing to communicate with us openly," Lee told AFP.