Samsung Electronics union chief reconfirmed with 87.5% approval

A confidence vote on Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the Samsung Group Cross-Enterprise Labor Union, passed Tuesday with an approval rate of 87.58%. Choi had called the vote, saying he would take responsibility for the outcome of this year's wage negotiations.

The cross-enterprise union said Tuesday that of 54,165 eligible members, 38,336 cast ballots in an online vote — a turnout of 70.8% — and 33,550, or 87.5%, voted in favor, confirming Choi's reconfirmation.

Choi had sought the confidence vote, pledging to take responsibility for this year's wage agreement. He said that if reconfirmed, he would pursue bargaining centered on the DS (Device Solutions, semiconductor) division in the 2027 wage talks, and would work to separate the DS division into its own bargaining unit, form a dedicated committee and secure worker-representative status.

He also said that even if a separate bargaining unit is not recognized, the union would seek lead bargaining union status and conduct negotiations independently, rather than as part of a joint bargaining team.

Earlier, a joint bargaining team that included the cross-enterprise union reached a tentative wage agreement with Samsung Electronics last month covering an average pay raise of 6.2%, the introduction of a special performance bonus and a housing loan program.

For employees in the memory chip division within the DS unit, performance bonuses could range from 210 million won to as much as 600 million won based on an annual salary of 100 million won ($64,900).

However, employees in the System LSI and foundry divisions within the DS unit expressed frustration, as those divisions are operating at a loss and their bonuses are expected to reach only around 200 million won.

Employees in the DX (Device Experience, finished products) division — which handles smartphones, televisions and home appliances — received only about 6 million won worth of company shares as a performance bonus. Many voiced opposition to the tentative agreement and left the cross-enterprise union in large numbers after negotiations concluded.

The cross-enterprise union is primarily made up of semiconductor workers. Its membership once surpassed 76,000 during wage negotiations, giving it majority union status, but it has since lost that standing. As of 1 p.m. Sunday, membership stood at 55,200.