Samsung Electronics has been
unionized since 2021, and its subsidiary Samsung Electronics Service since 2014.
Samsung Electronics Service Samsung Electronics Service is a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics and relies on in-house
subcontractor firms that are de facto owned by Samsung. In July 2013, the Samsung Electronics Service Workers was created. It is affiliated to the
Korean Metal Workers' Union which is part of
IndustriALL Global Union. Yeom Ho-seok, a worker and
Yangsan union branch leader committed suicide in his car on 17 May 2014; the second Samsung worker to do so. He left a note: On 17 May, Yeom's father transferred legal custody of Yeom's body to the union, per his son's dying wish. The next day, the father changed his mind and police snatched Yeom's corpse from the hospital, arresting 20 union members in the process. The last time a corpse was taken by police was in 1991 after a similar worker suicide protest. A year prior in May 2020, Lee Jae-yong apologized for Samsung's union-busting. There were 5 trade unions active at Samsung Electronics as of August 2024; • Office Workers' Union • Gumi Network Union • National Samsung Electronics Union (; represents 28,000 workers or a quarter of total workforce) 6,500 workers went on a strike on 8 July 2024, which was initially planned to be for three days but was converted into an indefinite strike due to lack of response from management. The strike ended on 1 August, under institutional pressure and falling numbers, though the union said it intended to continue fighting for its demands with other tactics. NSEU had
representative bargaining rights on behalf of all 5 unions until 5 August 2024, when the collective agreement expires. Other trade unions would be eligible to petition for representative bargaining rights on behalf of all trade unions. Donghaeng Union indicated they will compete with NSEU for this right. Son Woo-mok, the chair of NSEU in August, announced they will merge into Office Workers' Union on 5 October in order to consolidate their strength. The staggered strikes returned on the anniversary of
Liberation Day, 15 August through 18 August. The workers demanded a 5.6% wage increase, holiday on union anniversary and compensation for lost wages during the strikes, while management offered a 5.1% increase. In November 2025, Samsung Electronics Co. Union (SECU), Samsung Electronics Labor Union (SELU), and National Samsung Electronics Union formed a coalition around removing performance-based bonus caps and "allocations equal to 15 percent of annual operating profit." SELU was the representative union, being the largest. In March 2026, 93% of workers who cast ballots voted in favor of striking, citing Samsung's lower wages compared to rival company
SK Hynix. In May 2026, SECU withdrew from the joint negotiations due to a disproportionate focus on the semiconductor division. In April 2026, the Incheon District Court allowed a planned strike to proceed but restricted it from allowing the "deterioration or spoilage of thawed cell lines." The five-day strike began on May 1, marking the first in the company's history. == United States ==