Samsung Biologics’ labor union held its first rally on Wednesday and said it would move ahead with a strike on May 1 if management continues to reject meaningful talks.
The rally, held for about an hour outside the main gate of the company’s Bio Campus 1 in Songdo, drew about 2,200 participants, according to the union.
The event marks an escalation in a labor dispute that union leaders say is no longer limited to a small number of bargaining items, but instead concerns broader questions about accountability and decision-making within the company.
Jaesung Park, president of the Samsung Biologics union, said management had failed to apologize or take responsibility following the leak of personnel-related documents in November.
“Settling a few items would only deal with fragments of the problem,” Park said. “This is a fight to change the company’s decision-making structure.”
Park said the planned May 1 strike was aimed at changing the company and that responsibility for the conflict lay with management, not the union.
“Even now, we have not abandoned the chance for dialogue,” he said. “But if management continues to refuse meaningful talks, we will show our determination through the planned strike action.”
The union said it remains open to negotiations, but that management has yet to offer what it described as a serious response on accountability, dialogue and structural change.
The planned strike could become an early test of labor relations at Samsung Biologics, with attention now turning to whether the company will return to talks before May 1.
Samsung Biologics Labor Union was established in May 2023 and represents approximately 75% of the total employees at Samsung Biologics, a leading global Contract Manufacturing Organization (CMO) in the biopharmaceutical industry. The union is dedicated to improving working conditions, ensuring fair wages, protecting employee rights, and promoting transparent and sustainable corporate governance aligned with global ESG standards.
