November 23, 2024

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(Getty Images)

Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics have voted in favor of a strike after failing to reach a deal on wage hikes with management, industry sources said Monday.

Out of the 27,458 members across five different labor unions within the tech giant, 20,853 participated in the vote held from March 18 to last Friday, with 20,330, or 74 percent of the total, voting in favor of the strike, according to the sources.

This vote grants the unionized workers the legal authority to proceed with a strike if a 10-day mediation period, arranged by the National Labor Relations Commission, fails to yield a resolution.

Wage negotiations between management and labor broke down in February after rounds of talks over this year's wage increase.

The unions have demanded a 6.5 percent pay increase with an additional paid day-off.

Samsung Electronics announced last month that it has agreed with its workers to an average 5.1 percent pay raise for the year.

Samsung Electronics has not had a strike since its founding in 1969. (Yonhap)