Samsung union agrees to resume wage talks ahead of May 21 strike

Samsung Electronics' largest labor union agreed Thursday to return to the bargaining table following government mediation, while maintaining plans for an 18-day general strike beginning May 21 if talks fail, The Korea Times reported.

The standoff centers on union demands to eliminate caps on performance-based bonuses and secure 15 percent of annual operating profit as payouts — a figure Samsung has countered with an offer of 10 percent, according to The Korea Times.

SELU announced its return to negotiations after the Gyeonggi District Employment and Labor Office commissioner intervened with a pledge of government-level support, according to The Korea Times.

"In light of the government's active commitment and repeated requests, the union decided, after internal review, to participate in an additional negotiation process," SELU said in a statement cited by The Korea Times. Talks are scheduled to span two days next week.

SELU leader Choi Seung-ho made clear the union's position remains firm. "We will move forward with a general strike without hesitation," Choi said, according to The Korea Times, signaling that resumed talks do not represent a retreat from the planned walkout.

The coalition, however, is facing internal strain. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the second-largest union, has demanded a public apology from Choi after he allegedly threatened to exclude NSEU representatives from collective bargaining. "This is not just an attack on an individual but an act that effectively seeks to erase the representation of DX workers at the bargaining table," NSEU said in an official letter, The Korea Times reported.

A third union representing the Device Experience division — the Samsung Electronics Constituent Union (SECU) — has already withdrawn from the coalition entirely, citing disregard for its proposals, according to The Korea Times.

Negotiations are set for early next week. If the two sides fail to reach a deal, the coalition's planned 18-day strike — its largest announced action — is set to begin May 21, according to The Korea Times.