Labor union of Samsung Electronics holds rally ahead of talks

The striking labor union of Samsung Electronics Co. held a rally on Monday, a day before resuming talks with the company to resolve the industrial action over a wage hike, union officials said. About 1,200 unionized workers of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) joined the rally at a Samsung building in Yongin, south of Seoul. Clad in black T-shirts and wearing headbands with "general strike" printed on them, the unionized workers pledged for a "victory" in their strike. Son Woo-mok, head of the NSEU, told the workers that the strike "will not change all at once, but let's change it one by one." "Let's make our Samsung Electronics with a long breath," Son said. The union and Samsung Electronics are set to hold talks on Tuesday, in what would be the first face-to-face meeting since the union declared a strike on July 8. The NSEU's demands for the strike include a 5.6 percent basic pay raise for all members, a guaranteed day off on the union's founding day and compensation for economic losses d ue to the strike. Samsung Electronics has said there has been minimal impact on production, despite the strike. Source: Yonhap News Agency