Thousands of Samsung employees have commenced a three-day walkout, protesting the company’s compensation package and halting production at the tech giant’s manufacturing facilities.

The strike, which began on Wednesday, marks a significant escalation in a long-standing dispute between the company and its workforce.

“The strike has started from today,” Son Woo-mok, head of the National Samsung Electronics Union, told AFP. “Today’s general strike is just the beginning,” he added, urging workers to refrain from reporting to work or answering work-related calls until July 10.

The striking employees are demanding a substantial salary increase, citing Samsung’s impressive profits and the rising cost of living.

They argue that the current compensation offer is insufficient and fails to address their concerns about job security, benefits, and working conditions.

The strike has raised concerns about its potential impact on Samsung’s production and supply chain. For nearly five decades, Samsung Electronics successfully prevented its workers from forming unions, allegedly using strong-arm tactics, as it grew to become a global leader in smartphone and semiconductor production.

The company’s founder, Lee Byung-chul, who passed away in 1987, was famously anti-union, once declaring that he would never allow unions “until I have dirt over my eyes.”

Samsung’s management has yet to comment on the strike, but industry analysts predict significant losses if it extends beyond the planned three days.

Meanwhile, the union has vowed to continue the industrial action until their demands are met, putting pressure on Samsung’s management to swiftly resolve the dispute and minimize the disruption to operations.

“This strike is the last card we can use,” the union stated, emphasizing the need for workers to “act as one” in their fight for better compensation and working conditions.