Samsung Biologics union launches 1st strike over pay dispute

Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of Samsung Group, began a five-day strike Friday, demanding higher wages and expanded performance-based compensation. The walkout marks the first strike since the company's establishment in 2011. Samsung Biologics said it is deploying all available personnel to minimize disruption but acknowledged that some impact to operations may be unavoidable. The company estimated that losses from a full-scale strike could exceed 640 billion won (US$433 million), roughly half of its first-quarter sales of 1.26 trillion won. In a message to employees released Friday, company President and Chief Executive Officer John Rim urged them to carefully consider whether to participate in the strike, warning it could lead to irreversible losses for both the company and its employees. "The company will continue sincere dialogue with the union to help stabilize labor-management relations and build a workplace based on mutual trust and respect," he said. The union is seeking a 14 percent increase in both base and performance-related pay, a one-off cash incenti