Samsung Electronics Seeks Court Order Ahead of General Strike

Samsung Electronics has applied to the Suwon District Court for an injunction prohibiting the union's illegal labor dispute activities, aiming to protect its production lines and prevent business losses from the general strike scheduled for next month. The union declared it will begin a total strike on May 21, demanding that 15% of Samsung Electronics' operating profit be allocated for performance bonuses. The union has also announced a large-scale rally for May 23.

This preliminary injunction request is Samsung Electronics' measure to prevent business losses caused by production line shutdowns by blocking illegal labor dispute actions such as union occupation of key company facilities. Due to the nature of semiconductor manufacturing processes, restarting production lines after a halt requires complex procedures and significant time. All wafers in production may need to be discarded, potentially leading to substantial losses if production is disrupted.

Samsung Electronics stated that this injunction request is not intended to block constitutionally guaranteed union strike activities and that it respects collective bargaining rights. The company explained its objective is to prevent labor dispute actions prohibited by law and to avert significant business losses.