Samsung's union called off an 18-day strike at the last minute after the company agreed to several demands, including an unlimited bonus increase. According to Korean media reports, 40% of Samsung Electronics' bonus payments will go to Samsung Semiconductor employees. On average, employees in the memory business receive bonuses of around RM1.3 million each.
But amid the excitement over the lucrative bonuses received by Samsung Semiconductor employees, other Samsung business employees are also feeling envious. According to a Bloomberg report, employees outside the semiconductor business only received a much lower bonus of KRW 6 million (~RM 16,000) each.
Other business employees also complained that the majority of union members are semiconductor employees. Therefore, any negotiations for all should not be seen as being for the benefit of the semiconductor business alone. Although the strike has been postponed, it still depends on the union members' vote to accept the company's offer or not. Voting will be held until May 27, with 80% of members having cast their votes as of last weekend.
The DX business, which includes smartphones, home appliances, healthcare equipment and networking equipment, is expected to suffer losses this year due to the impact of rising memory prices. The irony here is that the semiconductor business's profits are causing other businesses to suffer losses. With memory demand expected to only stabilize through 2028, the price of smart devices will continue to rise.
