Thousands of Samsung Workers Protest, Demand Bonuses and Threaten Strike

Thousands of Samsung Electronics workers took to the streets in a major protest held in the Pyeongtaek factory area, South Korea, on Thursday (24/4/2026). The action forms part of the escalating conflict between the company management and the workers’ union regarding demands for improvements to the bonus and wage system. The crowd filled the area around the Samsung industrial complex, carrying banners demanding transparency and the abolition of the maximum bonus limit. Citing Reuters, the protest was dominated by young workers, including those in their 20s and 30s who form the backbone of the semiconductor industry. They are demanding changes to the bonus calculation system, which they consider opaque and not commensurate with the company’s performance. The workers’ union is known to be demanding the removal of the maximum bonus limit (OPI), currently capped at 50 percent of salary, and requesting an allocation of 15 percent of the company’s operational profits as employee bonuses. On the other hand, Samsung’s management has taken legal action by filing a petition with the court to restrict the strike action, which is deemed potentially in violation of regulations.