Samsung Electronics executives met with the leadership of the company’s striking union in South Korea this week, but talks ended with no progress, the labor group announced Tuesday.
The two parties met for the first round of negotiations Tuesday over pay, benefits and time off. The discussions stalled by the end of the meeting, with neither side budging.
During a YouTube live stream after the meeting Tuesday, Vice President of the National Samsung Electronics Union Lee Hyun-kuk said the two parties couldn’t reach an agreement and demanded that Samsung deliver a better offer by Monday.
The two sides are expected to hold more in-depth discussions on July 31.
The union launched an indefinite strike against Samsung this month after staging walkouts and smaller strikes earlier in the year. The union, which represents over a quarter of Samsung’s workforce in South Korea, is demanding changes to compensation packages, time off and other benefits.
According to Samsung, the strike has had no discernable impact on production, with much of the company’s chip production being automated. However, a prolonged strike could bring more workers onto the picket lines and force the tech giant to make concessions.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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