'No-union' policy broken

Samsung should offer new model for industrial peace

Samsung Electronics' "no-union" policy has been broken after 50 years. Workers at Samsung Electronics, the flagship company of Korea's leading conglomerate Samsung Group, launched a union Saturday under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), one of Korea's major labor umbrella groups.

Three unions were established at Samsung Electronics last year but each of them has fewer than 40 members. This is the first time a union has been established at the electronics giant under a major labor group. "Today's glory of Samsung Electronics is thanks to our senior workers and you who have worked hard for the company. But the company has been attributing its growth to excellent management and their insight. It's time for us to understand that our rights must be obtained by our efforts," union leader Jin Yoonseok said.

The company's new union has already secured nearly 500 members and set its first goal of increasing the number to 10,000. It reportedly plans to demand collective bargaining once the number of union members reaches a certain level.

Samsung Electronics, which celebrated its 50th anniversary on Nov. 1, has stuck to the no-union policy in accordance with the will of the group's late founder Lee Byungchul. The company's management reportedly has hampered workers' attempts to form unions, fearful that it could hurt harmonious labor-management relations. Yet Samsung's no-union policy can be considered anachronistic, given the importance of industrial peace based on the partnership between workers and management.

True, there are concerns that Samsung Electronics might end up stuck in the footsteps of Hyundai Motor embroiled in strikes every year. In this regard, it's encouraging that the company's new union promised both mutual prosperity and struggle in a ceremony Saturday. At a time when Korea's labor-management relations are at the world's lowest level in assessments of national competitiveness, it is hoped that the union at Samsung will offer a new model for industrial peace.