Sejong: Samsung Electronics Co. and its labor union are set to resume government-led mediation talks on Monday, just three days ahead of a significant planned strike, as confirmed by company and union officials. The session, crucial to averting a potential disruption at the world's largest memory chipmaker, will be held at the National Labor Relations Commission's office in Sejong, approximately 110 kilometers south of Seoul. According to Yonhap News Agency, previous mediation efforts had collapsed on Wednesday, leading to the urgent resumption of talks. The company's largest labor union has threatened to initiate an 18-day strike starting next Thursday, with more than 46,000 members expressing their willingness to participate. The crux of the dispute lies in disagreements over performance-based bonuses linked to earnings from Samsung's artificial intelligence-related semiconductor business, amid the ongoing memory supercycle. The upcoming talks are seen as a last-ditch effort to bridge the gap between labo r and management. The union had previously requested a change in the company's chief negotiator, resulting in the replacement of Vice President Kim Hyung-ro with Yeo Myung-koo, head of the Device Solutions division's People Team. Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong issued a public apology on Saturday, acknowledging the concerns surrounding the company's internal issues and urging for unity within the organization. In response, union head Choi Seung-ho emphasized the need to restore trust, as employees joined the union due to broken confidence in the company. The upcoming talks are expected to focus on rebuilding this trust and finding a resolution.
