TechFlow News, May 17: According to Yonhap News Agency, Samsung Electronics’ labor and management sides will commence their second round of post-strike mediation at 10 a.m. local time on May 18.
Previously, the labor side announced it would launch an 18-day general strike starting May 21, drawing widespread attention to whether the mediation can reach an agreement to resolve the dispute and avert the strike. Under mediation by the Central Labor Relations Commission of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, labor and management held marathon negotiations from May 11 to the early hours of May 13 but failed to narrow differences over the performance bonus payment criteria, leading to a breakdown in talks. On May 14, the Commission requested the labor side resume negotiations on May 16, but this request was rejected. This time, both sides have accepted the Commission’s mediation request, marking the resumption of negotiations after a five-day hiatus.
Lee Jae-yong, Executive Chairman of Samsung Electronics, returned to South Korea on May 16 after an overseas business trip. Upon arriving at Seoul’s Gimpo Business Aviation Center, he urged the labor side to return to the negotiation table. Lee stated that “at this critical moment, we must unite our efforts and move forward together in the same direction—let us once again exert our utmost efforts to truly take pride in being ‘Samsung people.’” Meanwhile, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon met separately with the labor and management sides on May 15 and May 16 to present the government’s position and facilitate consensus-building.
