Samsung Electronics, labor union to resume wage talks this week

Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics Co. have decided to resume talks with the company later this week, about two weeks after wage negotiations broke down, industry sources said Tuesday.

Samsung Electronics and representatives of the labor union will meet Thursday to discuss the schedule and direction of future bargaining, according to the sources.

Since January, the two sides have held several rounds of talks but have been unable to narrow their differences over the wage increase rate, vacation system and bonuses.

After failing to reach a deal on wage hikes, the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the biggest labor union with 28,000 members, secured the legal authority to proceed with a strike following a mediation process by the National Labor Relations Commission and a subsequent vote among its members.

Late last month, the NSEU announced a collective action in protest against stalled wage negotiations with the management, threatening a full-fledged strike.

According to union members, they took the day off last Friday as a preliminary step toward a potential general strike.

Samsung Electronics has not experienced a strike since its founding in 1969.