Samsung Electronics labor negotiations resume with mediation by Minister of Labor

Glonghui, May 20 – According to Yonhap News Agency, labor and management at South Korea's Samsung Electronics, who are facing the threat of a general strike after the breakdown of post-mediation talks, resumed wage negotiations on May 20, with Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon personally mediating. Samsung Electronics’ labor and management restarted negotiations at 4:25 p.m. that day at the Gyeonggi Employment and Labor Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. This negotiation is different from the post-mediation led by the Central Labor Committee under the Ministry of Employment and Labor and is not intended to propose a binding mediation plan. The Ministry of Employment and Labor stated that the talks on that day were autonomous discussions between labor and management, and Kim Young-hoon would provide support for this. Kim Young-hoon plans to put forward various proposals regarding key points of contention, urging both sides to make concessions and seek compromise.From May 18 to that day, Samsung Electronics’ labor and management conducted the second round of post-mediation under the Central Labor Committee, but were unable to reduce differences over key issues such as the distribution of departmental performance bonuses. After the Central Labor Committee put forward a compromise proposal, the union agreed, but management maintained a reserved stance, and ultimately mediation failed.After the breakdown of the second round of post-mediation at Samsung Electronics, the union said it would legally start a general strike as scheduled on the 21st. The government previously hinted it might invoke emergency mediation powers in an effort to prevent large-scale strikes from severely impacting the national economy. Analysts believe that, against this backdrop, Kim Young-hoon's intervention is aimed at ensuring that labor and management persist with negotiations until the last possible moment and strive to reach an agreement.