Samsung Electronics unions plan to go on strike Thursday as talks collapse again

Samsung Electronics’ labor and management on Wednesday failed to reach an agreement in their last-ditch talks, and the company’s labor unions said they will launch an 18-day strike on Thursday.

Attention is now on the government, which has suggested it could invoke compulsory arbitration measures to contain fallout to the national economy.

According to union leader Choi Seung-ho, the company’s labor and management ended their negotiations at around 11 a.m., Wednesday, despite extended talks in a government-arranged mediation session that began Monday.

Choi claimed that the unions "had agreed to the mediation proposal presented by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC)" on Wednesday night, but the company requested more time, leading the two sides to continue negotiations into Wednesday.

He added that the NLRC eventually ended the session as the company continued to withhold its position.

The unions said they will proceed with the general strike as planned. “The unions will lawfully enter a general strike tomorrow as scheduled,” he said. “We also make clear that we wi