Samsung Electronics reassigns some CSS team staff to memory, other chip divisions

Samsung Electronics is reassigning some staff from its power semiconductor (CSS) business team to other divisions within the Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor segment, including memory, System LSI and foundry.

Choi Seung-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the Samsung Group cross-company labor union, announced Thursday through the union's bulletin board that the company had opened its internal free-agent (FA) system for some CSS team employees. "Phased reassignments are set to proceed into memory, shared functions, System LSI and foundry," he said.

Staff who still have ongoing work — such as packaging duties — are excluded from this round of reassignments. The transfers are expected to proceed in stages beginning in the second half of the year.

The CSS team, which previously handled LED operations, currently sits within the DS segment but has operated under an independent bonus structure.

The team was also excluded from the new DS special management performance bonus introduced in this year's wage negotiations, and instead was included in a 6 million won ($4,050) company-stock grant offered at the same level as employees in the Device Experience (DX) segment under a mutual-cooperation arrangement.

The DS special management performance bonus allocates 10.5 percent of operating profit — as agreed by the company and union — to fund company-stock payouts.

Assuming Samsung Electronics posts operating profit in the 350 trillion to 400 trillion won range this year, memory division employees are estimated to receive special management performance bonuses — in the form of company stock — of roughly 600 million to 700 million won per person.

The CSS team is believed to have around 500 employees, excluding research staff. Those being reassigned will not be eligible for the special management performance bonus covering this year's results, which is to be paid out in early 2027, but from 2028 onward they will fall under the bonus structure of their new divisions.