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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] A legal injunction has been filed against the labor union at Samsung Electronics, challenging the legitimacy of its collective bargaining process just ahead of a critical mediation session and a potential strike.
According to legal sources on May 15, five union members from the company’s DX division filed an application with the Suwon District Court seeking to halt collective bargaining by the Samsung Electronics branch of a multi-employer union.
The applicants argue that the union failed to follow required procedures under its bylaws and labor law, which mandate a general assembly vote for key collective bargaining matters. Instead, they claim the union finalized its wage and negotiation demands based solely on the results of a pre-structured online survey, without properly gathering the full consent of its members.
They also contend that the joint bargaining body did not complete necessary internal steps, including individual union approvals, integration and coordination processes, and working-level consultations, as stipulated in a prior memorandum of understanding.
Separately, Samsung Electronics management has filed its own injunction request seeking to prohibit what it describes as illegal strike actions. The court has already held two hearings on the matter and is expected to decide by May 20, one day before the union’s planned general strike.
Labor and management are scheduled to enter a second round of post-mediation talks on May 18 at the Central Labor Relations Commission in Sejong Government Complex, with negotiations focusing on the institutionalization of performance-based bonuses.
As both sides engage in last-minute negotiations, the outcome of the legal disputes over bargaining procedures and the legitimacy of potential strike actions is expected to play a key role in determining whether the strike proceeds.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
