Samsung workers on strike for three days complain of poor working conditions, including 'deformed fingers' and 'herniated discs'
Samsung's labor union, the National Samsung Electronics Union (NESU), conducted a strike from July 8 to 10, 2024. In a group chat in which employees participated, the reality of poor working conditions was exposed.
Mangled fingers, no time off: Why the women who make Samsung's semiconductors are striking
The strike by NESU, which saw 6,540 participants, was calling for higher wages and follows the first strike in Samusung's history
Samsung labor union goes on three-day strike - GIGAZINE
According to NESU, Samsung's 8-inch semiconductor production line is usually operating at 80%, but on July 8, 2024, the first day of the strike, its operating rate was only 18%.
In addition, many of the female employees in their 20s to 40s who actively participated in the strike told foreign media outlet Hankyoreh that 'our main reason for participating in the strike was not to seek a pay raise or more vacation days.'
On July 13, 2024, in a group chat with employees working on an 8-inch semiconductor manufacturing line, one employee posted, 'My thumb has become deformed from working every day.' Another employee posted a similar report.
Furthermore, some employees reported developing
Employees working on an 8-inch semiconductor manufacturing line are required to stand for approximately eight hours while carrying 3kg to 5kg lots and feeding them into machines. One employee said, 'Employees are given a one-hour lunch break, but the machines never stop working, so someone always has to work. Even eating and going to the bathroom is stressful.'
Another employee said, 'After suffering from a severe bladder infection, I stopped drinking water or coffee before work.'
In addition, if a worker in a group is exempt from overtime due to pregnancy, someone in the group must fill the gap, as there is no replacement. One employee said, 'I was diagnosed with depression and even admitted to a psychiatric ward. Many of my colleagues also suffer from depression.'
In addition, the 8-inch semiconductor manufacturing line is constantly short of workers. One employee complained, 'When employees have the same paid vacation days, we play rock-paper-scissors to decide who will take the vacation,' and 'Even when new employees join the company, many of them quit because they can't handle the night shift, so we're always short of workers.'
A Samsung spokesperson said, 'The claim that we are restricting employees' ability to take vacation is a one-sided claim made by only a handful of employees. We comply with all workplace safety standards set out in the Industrial Safety and Health Act. We operate preventive musculoskeletal exercise centers and health promotion rooms to promote the health of our line workers.'
By participating in the strike, the employees are asserting that 'we are not parts of a machine.' One employee said, 'Our participation in this strike is part of the process to prevent bad practices on the 8-inch semiconductor production line from being passed on.'
'The company needs to acknowledge that it is the workers' accumulated disappointment and anger that has led to this strike,' a NESU official said.
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