INCHEON, South Korea, March 30, 2026 — The Samsung Biologics Labor Union said its members have overwhelmingly voted to authorize strike action, with 95.52% voting in favor on a 95.38% turnout during voting held from March 24 to March 29.

Following the Incheon Regional Labor Relations Commission’s decision to terminate mediation, the union said it has now completed the final legal step required to proceed with industrial action.

The union, which says it represents about 75% of the company’s workforce, said the result should not be viewed as a conventional wage dispute alone. In its view, the vote reflects broader concerns about management responsiveness, the company’s lack of independent bargaining authority, and unresolved compliance-related issues that have continued to erode trust inside the workplace.

According to the union, Samsung Biologics reported a 56.6% year-over-year increase in operating profit, yet management presented wage conditions below last year’s level. The union argues that this gap has reinforced concerns that bargaining is being constrained by a group-level wage framework rather than being conducted on the basis of Samsung Biologics’ own performance and business conditions.

The union also said that unresolved concerns related to unfair labor practices and the handling of employee personal data have deepened internal distrust. It argues that these issues should have been addressed earlier and more directly by management, rather than allowed to accumulate into a wider governance and compliance problem.

In the global biologics CDMO industry, where clients depend on stable execution, workforce continuity, and timely management decisions, prolonged labor deadlock can develop into a broader operational and credibility issue. The union said that this is why the current situation should be understood not only as a domestic labor dispute, but as a management issue with implications for client confidence and supply continuity.

“A strike is not our objective in itself,” said Jaesung Park, President of the Samsung Biologics Labor Union. “But when management fails to present a credible and independent proposal, workers are left with few options. In a CDMO business, delayed decision-making and unresolved labor conflict do not remain internal issues for long. They can affect confidence in operational stability.”

The union said it remains open to negotiations if management presents a credible and autonomous proposal reflecting Samsung Biologics’ own business realities. However, absent such a proposal, it plans to proceed with phased industrial action, beginning with an offline rally on April 22 and potentially expanding to a general strike on May 1.

Media Contact
Jaesung Park
President, Samsung Biologics Labor Union
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +82-10-4133-5744