[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Samsung Electronics is set to face a full-scale strike starting May 21 after labor-management negotiations failed to reach an agreement, raising concerns over significant economic fallout.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol issued a rare public statement on May 13, expressing regret over the breakdown in talks and urging a resolution through principled negotiations, while pledging continued government support.

The company and its union held marathon negotiations for 17 hours under the mediation of the National Labor Relations Commission but failed to bridge differences over the performance-based bonus system. The union demanded the removal of bonus caps and formal institutionalization of payout criteria, which management declined.

The union plans to proceed with an 18-day general strike starting May 21, with more than 42,000 employees already applying to participate and total participation expected to exceed 50,000.

Analysts warn that the financial impact could be severe. Factory shutdowns could result in losses of tens of billions of won per minute and up to KRW 1 trillion per day. The union itself estimates potential production disruptions in the range of KRW 20–30 trillion.

Beyond direct losses, concerns are mounting over broader economic implications. Shin Je-yoon cautioned in a recent internal message that prolonged strike-related losses and potential customer attrition could significantly reduce corporate value, affecting shareholders, employees, and local communities.

He also warned that disruptions could lead to declines in exports worth hundreds of billions of dollars, reduced tax revenues, currency volatility, and a broader contraction in South Korea’s GDP—underscoring the potential nationwide economic impact of the strike.

 

 

 

[ⓒ 알파경제. 무단전재-재배포 금지]