The deal to a avert a strike at Samsung’s chipmaking operation that was announced last week has been approved, according to Bloomberg. There will be no strike. Two weeks ago, the negotiating process had broken down and a strike looked imminent. Repercussions from a work stoppage may have been felt globally. Since Samsung and its chief Korean competitor in this area, SK Hynix are two of three companies that make the high bandwidth memory (HBM) that frontier AI companies depend on, demand is expected to outstrip supply until well into next year—or even later—and noticeable supply chain disruptions in HBM and other components were very much on the table thanks to the potential strike. A bonus increase last year at SK Hynix had set events at Samsung in motion. Union activity increased after Samsung workers learned about a union deal that purportedly meant similar SK Hynix workers were eligible for six-figure bonuses in 2025. Samsung has now given workers a similar deal—one that Bloomberg estimates will earn 57,302 Samsung chip workers an average bonus of 513 million won, or $340,000. Yonhap News Agency’s estimate is slightly higher: “600 million won for each of the 28,000 employees in the chip division.”
Samsung Chip Workers Approve (Amazing) Deal to Avert Strike
Don't take a big sip of coffee before you read their new average bonus amount.












