Industry minister urges Samsung labor, management to reach deal to prevent strike

Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan on Tuesday called on Samsung Electronics' labor union and management to make a settlement in wage talks, as the two sides are in final negotiations before the planned strike by Samsung workers. "The reality is that everyone is concerned about the ripple effects a strike at Samsung Electronics would bring," Kim said in a parliamentary industry committee meeting, stressing that he hopes Samsung workers and management can reach a last-minute deal to avert a walkout, while making clear he does not want to affect the ongoing mediation process between the two sides. Samsung and its largest labor union were in their final day of government-led wage mediation Tuesday. The first round of mediation, which was held last week, ended without a deal, as the two sides remained divided over performance-based bonuses. The labor union of the world's largest memory chip maker has been threatening to launch an 18-day general strike starting Thursday, demanding fixed performance bonuses equal to 15 percent of the semiconductor division's operating profit, along with the remov

Original source: Korea Times