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Minority union at Samsung Electronics to challenge pay deal in court

By Thomson Reuters May 28, 2026 | 9:58 PM

SEOUL, May 29 (Reuters) – A minority labour union at Samsung Electronics representing its consumer electronics workers will ask a South ​Korean court to suspend the implementation ‌of a pay deal that primarily benefits employees in the chip division, a lawyer said.

Two other unions at the world’s largest memory chip and TV maker, ‌including ​its biggest union, voted to ⁠approve a pay deal ⁠this week that provides huge bonuses for workers in Samsung’s memory chip division, which has seen profits soar amid the AI ​boom.

The Samsung Electronics Co Union (SECU), which has about 13,000 members, mostly from the company’s ⁠smartphone, TV and home appliances ⁠divisions, had initially filed an ​injunction to suspend the vote.

The approval of the ​11th-hour government-mediated agreement averted a planned 18-day strike, ‌but meant some employees outside the chip division did not fare as well.

Now that the vote has passed, SECU will ask the ⁠court to suspend the implementation of the pay deal, a lawyer for the union said in a ⁠court hearing ‌on Friday.

Legal counsel for SECU ⁠said they would submit documents next ​week ‌revising the injunction request, and expect ​a court ⁠to make a ruling within a month.

A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics’ biggest union declined to comment.

The company was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Writing by Joyce LeeEditing by ​Ed Davies)