Seoul: Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of Samsung Group, has agreed to return to the negotiation table this week, a corporate official said. The two sides will renegotiate on Monday under the mediation of the Jungbu regional employment and labor office, after the first round of talks fell through on Thursday. The strike is the first ever for the union, with the walkout entering its third day on Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision to engage in further talks was part of the company's efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute through dialogue. A company source emphasized that the response to the labor ministry's arbitration request during the walkout reflects sincere efforts to address the issues. However, the company has urged the labor union to halt what it describes as "irrational" demands and collective action and return to the negotiation table.
The initial arbitration meeting revealed that the labor union had demanded the company change all of its bargaining committee members as a prerequisite for talks. Unionized workers of Samsung Biologics have been on strike since Friday, demanding a 14 percent increase in both base and performance-related pay, a one-off cash incentive of 30 million won (US$20,389.9) per worker, and bonuses equivalent to 20 percent of the company's annual operating profit. In contrast, the company has proposed a combined 6.2 percent increase in base and performance pay.
Approximately 2,800 out of the 4,000 unionized members have participated in the strike, according to the company's labor union. The company claims that the walkout could result in at least 640 billion won in damages, which equates to around half of the company's sales for the first quarter. Despite these concerns, the union plans to continue the strike until Tuesday.
Unionized workers are also calling for the establishment of "fair and transparent" personnel management standards. The labor union has highlighted the need for management to exercise authority in a transparent manner, allowing employees to work with trust in the company. The proposed collective bargaining agreement includes clauses that require prior consent by the union regarding new hiring, personnel evaluations, and decisions on mergers and acquisitions.