Workers at Samsung Biologics’ union began a second partial strike at midnight on Nov. 6, demanding higher wages and changes to the company’s personnel system, with the action set to continue through Nov. 27, according to Yonhap and BusinessKorea.
- The union's second partial strike began at midnight on Nov. 6 and is set to run through Nov. 27, according to Yonhap and BusinessKorea
- About 400 members — roughly 10% of the union's 4,000-strong membership — are taking part, drawn from quality control, quality assurance, logistics and production support roles (Korea Times, Yonhap)
- A court injunction bars strike action in nine core manufacturing steps, which is why the union scaled its plan down from a full walkout to a partial one (BusinessKorea)
- Management has offered a 6.2% base-pay raise plus a one-time bonus, while the union wants a 9.5% raise plus performance pay equal to 15% of operating profit (all sources)
- A five-day full strike in May reportedly cost the company about 150 billion won ($108 million) in losses, including disposed drugs, per BusinessKorea
What happened
Around 400 union members — about 10% of the roughly 4,000-strong union, according to Korea Times and Yonhap — walked off their posts in quality control testing, quality assurance, logistics and production support. Rather than holding rallies, the union is using a “no-work” approach, with members simply stopping their tasks. Organizers say they may widen the action depending on how talks progress, BusinessKorea reported.
The union originally intended a full stoppage but was forced to narrow it after a court granted an injunction blocking strikes in nine essential production stages, including bioreactor culturing, media preparation, chromatography, virus filtration and bulk filling, per BusinessKorea. That ruling is why organizers are calling this a partial rather than full strike.
Why it matters
Labor and management remain split over pay terms that have been under discussion for more than six months, Korea Times reported, while Yonhap frames the broader dispute over wages and working conditions as stretching back more than two years — a difference that may reflect separate timelines for the current bargaining round versus the overall relationship. Management’s offer stands at a 6.2% base-pay increase with a one-time bonus; the union wants a 9.5% raise along with performance pay set at 15% of operating profit. A negotiating session planned for Nov. 3 reportedly never got off the ground because the two sides couldn’t even agree on terms to sit down, per BusinessKorea.
Industry watchers quoted by BusinessKorea worry that a drawn-out dispute could dent client confidence in Samsung Biologics as a contract drug manufacturer, since reliability on delivery timelines is central to that business. Korea Times adds that rival contract manufacturers are expanding capacity quickly, raising the stakes if Samsung Biologics’ reputation for steady output takes a hit.
Background
This marks the third round of union action this year. A first partial walkout took place in late April involving around 60 members — the first such action since the company was founded in 2011, Yonhap reported. That was followed by a five-day general strike from May 1 to 5 involving some 2,800 members, after which workers kept up pressure by declining overtime and holiday shifts. BusinessKorea estimated that the May strike cost the company roughly 150 billion won ($108 million), partly from discarded drug batches, and noted that production of some patient-critical treatments, including cancer drugs and HIV medication, was briefly disrupted.
By comparison, participation in the current strike is about one-seventh of May’s turnout, though it is scheduled to last more than four times as long, BusinessKorea noted, making the overall impact harder to forecast. A union member said at the company’s Songdo headquarters that working conditions should keep pace with the company’s growth, according to Yonhap.
What to watch
Because the court injunction keeps the nine core manufacturing processes running regardless of the strike, Korea Times suggests the near-term risk of major production disruption is relatively contained. Still, how long the standoff drags on, and whether the union expands its action, will shape whether client trust in Samsung Biologics as a dependable contract manufacturer is affected.
Our read: with both sides holding firm on the size of the wage increase and performance-pay formula, the dispute looks likely to continue unless government-mediated talks, which have already resumed once without resolution according to Korea Times, produce a breakthrough before Nov. 27.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Samsung Biologics workers strike again?
The union and management have been unable to agree on wage increases and changes to personnel policy, with talks stalled for months, according to Yonhap and Korea Times.
How many employees are taking part and for how long?
About 400 members, roughly 10% of the union, are participating in a 'no-work' action from Nov. 6 through Nov. 27, per Korea Times and Yonhap.
Could this strike halt drug production the way May's did?
Unlikely to the same degree — a court injunction keeps nine key manufacturing processes running, which Korea Times says keeps the risk of major disruption relatively low.
Sources
- BusinessKorea: 삼성바이오로직스 노조 2차 부분파업 돌입
- BusinessKorea: Samsung Biologics Union Begins Second Partial Strike
- The Korea Times: Samsung Biologics labor dispute drags on as union stages another strike
- Yonhap News: Unionized members at Samsung Biologics stage another partial strike
This article was prepared with AI assistance from the reports listed above and automatically checked against them. See About for how we work.
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