Seoul: Unionized workers of Samsung Biologics returned to work Wednesday after a five-day walkout but have decided to continue talks with the company under a work-to-rule campaign, the union said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a union representative stated that "Currently, there are no areas where consensus has been reached," highlighting that workers plan to adhere strictly to safety rules as part of their ongoing protest. A negotiating representative from the union and the biotech arm of Samsung Group is scheduled for a one-on-one meeting later in the day. This meeting will be followed by a three-way discussion involving the union, management, and the labor ministry, expected to take place on Friday.
The union has proposed initiatives such as raising one-time incentives and establishing a labor-management cooperation fund aimed at sharing part of the company's profit with the local community and partner vendors. "We will engage in the talks with our utmost sincerity as we have agreed to two more rounds of talks this week," the company stated.
The walkout began on Friday, with approximately 2,800 out of 4,000 union members participating, according to the union. This marks the first strike since Samsung Biologics was established in 2011. The unionized workers are demanding a 14 percent increase in base pay and performance-related pay, a one-time cash incentive of 30 million won (US$20,390) per worker, and bonuses equivalent to 20 percent of annual operating profit. In contrast, the company has offered a combined 6.2 percent increase in base and performance pay.