Samsung strike

Union bosses accused of threatening strike-criticizing employees

In the shadow of the approaching potential general strike by Samsung employees, the union chairman is accused of pressuring non-union members to join the strike and threatening dissidents with reprisals.

In a statement broadcast on Youtube, Choi Seong-ho, chairman of the Samsung Electronics Labor Union, is reported to have said that the union is keeping a record of employees who work despite the strike. These employees will be “prioritized” in future measures such as forced transfers and layoffs, according to Choi.

Choi is also said to have announced a reward for people who report colleagues who cooperate with the employer.

Analysts warn: Strike likely to disrupt already stressed market

If Samsung's 89,000 unionized employees vote in favor of the proposed strike, it will mean a major disruption to the already hard-pressed chip and memory market. This is stated by analysts according to the tech site Tech In Asia.

Among other things, it could shorten the launch window for Samsung's important HBM 4 chip. The tech giant's executives have previously linked the company's entire reputation to the new chip, the site writes.

A delay in the HBM 4 launch is also likely to hit Nvidia, since the chip giant's next AI platform Vera Rubin is dependent on HBM 4 memory chips.

This could in turn force Nvidia to turn to Samsung's rival, SK Hynix, instead. It could also slow down next-generation AI development across the spectrum, according to the site.