Samsung’s unionized workers to return to work but continue guerrilla strikes

Samsung Electronics union members hold a press conference near Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s house in Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap)

Samsung Electronics’ labor union said Thursday it would return to work by next Monday but vowed to continue guerrilla strikes amid their stalled talks for wage hikes.

“It is the time to shift to a long-term plan,” the National Samsung Electronics Union said via its YouTube channel. “We will proceed with sustainable guerrilla strikes while adhering to legal standards to ensure our success. You can return to work from today. You can join our guerrilla strikes anytime you want.”

The NSEU whose membership accounts for about 29 percent of Samsung’s total workforce is the largest among the five labor unions at the tech giant.

The latest decision came as the negotiations with the management remained deadlocked with no signs of an immediate breakthrough.

Earlier Thursday, the union protested in front of Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s residence in Seoul, calling on the Samsung chief to step in over their stalled talks.

The chairman is currently on a business trip to Europe to meet with business partners on the sidelines of the Paris Olympics.