A South Korean court partially granted an injunction requested by Samsung Electronics to limit strike actions by two labor unions [1].
The ruling restricts the ability of workers to conduct a total strike by requiring that essential operations remain functional. Because semiconductor manufacturing involves highly sensitive environments, any disruption to safety or product preservation could lead to catastrophic equipment damage or the spoilage of wafers.
Judge Shin Woo-jung of the Suwon District Court issued the decision on May 18, 2024 [1]. The court ordered that safety-protection facilities, damage-prevention work, and product-preservation staffing be maintained at the same levels as during normal operations [1].
Samsung filed the initial injunction on April 16, 2024 [1]. The legal action targeted two specific labor organizations: the National Samsung Electronics Union, and the Samsung Electronics branch of the supra-corporate labor union [1].
In the ruling, Judge Shin said that during a labor dispute, safety-protection facilities must be maintained with the same level of personnel, operating hours, operating scale, and duty of care as during normal weekdays or weekends. He said that the unions must not stop, abolish, or interfere with these operations, nor instruct union members to do so [1].
This legal restriction comes as the Samsung Electronics labor union planned a large-scale strike for May 21, 2024 [1]. However, the union is also facing internal challenges. A YTN reporter said that internal conflicts have emerged, leading some union members to leave the organization [1].
The court's decision effectively prevents a total shutdown of facilities, as any strike action that impedes these critical safety and preservation functions is now deemed illegal [1].
“The court's decision effectively prevents a total shutdown of facilities.”
This ruling establishes a high threshold for legal strike activity within the semiconductor industry. By classifying product preservation and safety staffing as essential services that must remain at 'normal' levels, the court has significantly neutralized the primary leverage of a total strike—the ability to halt production entirely. This creates a legal framework where labor unions can protest, but cannot legally jeopardize the physical integrity of the manufacturing process or the high-value wafers being produced.
