Samsung Electronics DX union to protest near Chairman Lee's residence

The Donghaeng Labor Union, representing employees in Samsung Electronics’ Device Experience (DX) division, has announced plans for long-term protests and one-person demonstrations near Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s residence in Yongsan, Seoul. The mobilization is scheduled to begin with an inauguration ceremony on the 18th.

The union is protesting what it describes as an excessive compensation gap between the DX division, which handles consumer electronics, and the Device Solutions (DS) division, which manages semiconductor operations. The union argues that the recent wage agreement reached in May failed to adequately reflect the needs of DX employees.

Key demands from the union include the distribution of 1,000 company shares per DX employee, the establishment of a common fund based on a percentage of company-wide performance, and the application of uniform base-pay increase rates across all divisions.

While the union attributes the DX division's weakened profitability to management failures, some industry observers suggest that the demand for 1,000 shares per person is unrealistic given the division's current business climate. Critics also question the legitimacy of the protests since a wage agreement had already been reached through government mediation.