The Samsung Biologics labor union began a full-scale strike on May 1, marking the first such action since the company was founded in 2011 [1, 2].

This walkout represents a significant escalation in labor tensions at one of South Korea's premier biopharmaceutical hubs. Because the strike involves a large portion of the workforce, it threatens to disrupt production schedules at the company's headquarters in Songdo, Incheon [1, 2].

Union members are demanding a 14% wage increase [3]. The union said the decision to strike was a response to the executives' decision-making failures and a lack of successful negotiations regarding wages and other grievances [1, 3].

According to reports, approximately 2,800 workers, about 70% of the total employee base, are participating in the strike [1]. The company employs 5,455 people in total, with approximately 4,000 of them being union members [1].

Support for the action was high during the preliminary stages. A vote showed that 95.52% of union members, representing 3,351 votes, favored the strike [4].

To execute the walkout, the union chose a method where members take annual leave to avoid participating in work [1]. The strike is planned to continue through May 5 [1, 2].

Union representatives said the company must enter negotiations immediately to resolve the crisis [1].

“The first ever full-scale strike since the company's founding in 2011.”

The strike signals a breakdown in the traditional labor-management relations at Samsung Biologics. By coordinating a walkout that involves roughly 70% of the workforce, the union is leveraging its high membership rate to force management into immediate wage concessions. The timing, coinciding with Labor Day, underscores a broader push for better compensation within South Korea's high-tech bio-sector.