Samsung's wage deal sealed but exposes deep divisions among workers, shareholders

Samsung Electronics headquarters in Suwon, Gyeonggi [YONHAP]

Samsung Electronics and its unions concluded five grueling months of wage negotiations after workers voted to ratify a tentative agreement on Wednesday, averting a strike that had threatened to disrupt the world's top memory chipmaker. But the vote has laid bare deep divisions between the company's chip and consumer electronics workers that are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

The joint bargaining committee — made up of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the Samsung Group United Union (SGUU) and National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) — said 62,616 of 65,593 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 95.5 percent, with 73.7 percent, or 46,142 members, voting in favor of the agreement.

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Voting closed at 10 a.m. Wednesday. A signing ceremony between the union and management took place at 11 a.m.