Samsung Electronics’ largest labor union lost its majority status on June 4.

Membership fell to 58,270, below the 64,441 needed to represent a majority of the company’s workforce.

The union was recognized by South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor as the majority union in April, but about 18,000 members left after a provisional wage agreement on May 20.

Industry sources and the union’s internal analysis said the departures were driven by anger over how performance-based bonuses were divided across Samsung Electronics’ business divisions.

The union had demanded the removal of a bonus cap and higher profit-linked payouts. Samsung instead proposed one-time compensation.

Analysts said Samsung Electronics’ bonus system ties payouts largely to division performance, leading to uneven rewards across units.

Without majority status, the union is expected to coordinate bargaining channels with other unions in future wage and collective negotiations.

🔗 Source: Chosun Daily

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