Unionized workers at fast-growing South Korean CDMO Samsung Biologics kicked off a planned general strike on Friday, escalating a dispute that has been brewing for the past few months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The five-day strike is the first since the company\u2019s establishment in 2011 and sees the union seeking an increase in base and performance-related wages, The Korea Herald reported<\/a> on May 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time, Samsung Biologics prioritizes maintaining supply stability and minimizing any impact,\u201d a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement. \u201cTo reduce disruption, the company is assigning experienced personnel and those who have recently completed training to backfill key operational areas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also maintaining proactive communication with our clients to manage any potential impact,\u201d the spokesperson continued. \u201cWe are striving for continuous dialogue with the labor union to achieve an amicable resolution as soon as possible while safeguarding the continuity of our operations.”<\/p>\n The action follows an April 22 labor union rally<\/a> that gathered 2,200 participants outside Samsung Bio\u2019s Bio Campus 1 for an hour during non-working hours. At the time, union chair Park Jaesung said that the union was fighting to \u201cchange the company\u2019s decision-making structure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven now, we have not abandoned the chance for dialogue,\u201d Jaesung said in a statement at the time. \u201cBut if management continues to refuse meaningful talks, we will show our determination through the planned strike action.\u201d<\/p>\n The company and the union have held 13 rounds of talks between December and March, according to the Korea Herald.\u00a0<\/p>\n More than 95% of the union had voted<\/a> in favor of a strike back in March, with a plan to initiate \u201cphased strike actions\u201d starting with the offline rally on April 22 and leading up to the general strike on May 1, lest company management \u201cpresents a credible and autonomous proposal,\u201d the union had said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The labor union, which it said represents approximately 75% of Samsung Bio\u2019s employees, highlighted lower wage conditions than last year despite the company\u2019s growth. The union attributed the gap to a \u201clack of independent\u00a0bargaining authority\u201d with the CDMO\u2019s larger parent company, Samsung Electronics.\u00a0<\/p>\n