Samsung unions vote to strike over wages if mediation fails

Samsung Electronics office in southern Seoul on July 7. [YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics union members have voted to strike after failing to reach a deal on wage hikes with management, industry sources said Monday.

Out of the 27,458 members across five different labor unions of the tech giant, 20,853 participated in the vote held from March 18 to last Friday, with 20,330, or 74 percent of the total, voting in favor of the strike, according to sources.

This vote grants union members the legal authority to proceed with a strike if a 10-day mediation period, arranged by the National Labor Relations Commission, fails to find a resolution.

Wage negotiations between management and the labor union broke down in February after rounds of talks discussing this year’s wage increase.

The unions have demanded a 6.5 percent pay increase with an additional paid day-off.

Samsung Electronics announced last month that it agreed with its workers to an average 5.1 percent pay raise for the year.

Samsung Electronics has not had a strike since its establishment in 1969.

Yonhap