Tech giant Samsung workers to strike indefinitely

The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) has called for an indefinite strike, demanding better pay and benefits for its members. The union, which represents around 30,000 workers, initiated a three-day strike earlier this week. Workers gathered in front of the Samsung Electronics Nano City Hwaseong Campus in South Korea, holding placards and shouting slogans. The union's decision to extend the strike came after management showed no intention of negotiating over their demands. The NSEU claims that their actions have disrupted production, although Samsung disputes this. 'Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines. The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union,' a Samsung spokesperson told BBC News. However, the union countered, 'The company has no intention to engage in a dialogue even after the first general strike, thus we declare a second general strike starting from July 10th, lasting indefinitely. ' So far, about 6,500 workers have participated in the strike, and the union is urging more members to join. A protest on Monday saw around 3,000 people in attendance. Samsung has declined to comment on the exact number of workers involved in the walkout. An expert from Fibonacci Asset Management Global told BBC News, 'In our view, there will be no production disruption. ' Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of memory chips, smartphones, and televisions, is the flagship unit of the Samsung Group. The conglomerate is a major player in South Korea's economy. Samsung Group did not allow unions to represent its workers until 2020, following intense public scrutiny after its chairman was prosecuted for market manipulation and bribery. The union's announcement has had a slight impact on the company's shares, which were trading flat to slightly lower on the Korea Stock Exchange. Last week, a surge in artificial intelligence (AI) technology boosted the prices of advanced chips, positively affecting the firm's forecast for the second quarter.