[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Samsung Electronics and its union have agreed to resume negotiations through post-mediation by the labor board, just days before a planned strike on May 21.

The union said on May 8 that it would re-enter talks following a tripartite meeting involving government officials, including the regional labor office, after accepting a recommendation from the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The post-mediation process will be led by the National Labor Relations Commission and is scheduled for May 11–12.

The move comes after formal mediation efforts in February failed, with talks breaking down in early March. Post-mediation is an additional intervention step used when a strike is imminent.

At the center of the dispute is performance-based pay. The union is demanding that 15% of operating profit be allocated as bonuses and that the current cap—set at 50% of annual salary—be removed. Management, however, has proposed maintaining the cap while offering additional special incentives when performance exceeds targets, citing the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry.

The union has warned it will proceed with a full-scale strike if negotiations fail to produce satisfactory results, while the company said it will engage in the mediation process in good faith.

Market attention is focused on whether both sides can reach a compromise not only on bonus distribution but also on broader proposals such as a “social solidarity fund,” as labor tensions in the semiconductor sector continue to escalate.

 

 

 

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