Presidential Office Says Time Remains for Samsung Labor Talks, Backs Dialogue
Summary
- The presidential office said it will actively support efforts to help Samsung Electronics labor and management resolve the breakdown in post-mediation talks through dialogue.
- The National Samsung Electronics Union plans to begin an 18-day general strike on May 21, and if the walkout materializes, attention will focus on production disruptions and the broader impact on industry.
- Because the presidential office signaled support for dialogue rather than emergency arbitration powers, there is still room for additional negotiations before the strike begins, and the government said it will watch autonomous labor-management talks for now.
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South Korea’s presidential office said it will continue to support talks between Samsung Electronics Co. and its labor union after government-led post-mediation efforts broke down. With Samsung’s largest union warning of a general strike starting May 21, the government is putting greater emphasis on further dialogue than on invoking emergency arbitration powers.
Kang Yu-jung, senior presidential spokesperson, made the comments at a May 13 briefing when asked about labor negotiations at Samsung Electronics.
“The government will actively support efforts so labor and management can resolve the issue through dialogue,” Kang said.
She was more cautious on calls from some quarters for the government to invoke emergency arbitration after the post-mediation process collapsed.
“There is still time left before the strike period begins,” Kang said. “Although this round of post-mediation has ended, there is still time remaining, and we will support labor and management so they can resolve the issue through dialogue.”
Asked whether emergency arbitration powers could still be invoked, she declined to go further, saying only that there was still time left for labor-management dialogue.
Earlier on May 13, Choi Seung-ho, head of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the National Samsung Electronics Union, the company’s largest union, declared the talks had collapsed after a post-mediation meeting ended.
With the mediation process broken down, the union plans to begin an 18-day general strike on May 21. If the dispute at Samsung Electronics leads to an actual walkout, attention will turn to possible production disruptions and broader fallout across industry.
Still, the presidential office’s emphasis on support for dialogue rather than emergency arbitration leaves room for additional negotiations before any strike begins. For now, the government appears set to watch autonomous talks between labor and management while assessing whether there is room to mediate.
Hong Min-seong, Hankyung.com reporter, mshong@hankyung.com
Korea Economic Daily
hankyung@bloomingbit.ioThe Korea Economic Daily Global is a digital media where latest news on Korean companies, industries, and financial markets.
