Samsung Biologics: "Proposes Two-Week Delay in Labor Talks, Deems Dialogue Impossible"

Samsung Biologics proposed postponing labor-management negotiations, which were scheduled to resume on November 3, by two weeks.

A view of Samsung Biologics Plant 4 in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The Asia Business Daily archive.

In an official statement on November 2, Samsung Biologics explained its reasons for proposing the delay: "On October 30, the union unilaterally denied the status of the company's negotiating representatives, demanding, among other things, that the company's lead representative be completely excluded and replaced." It added, "Behind the scenes, the union is preparing to push ahead with a strike while also pressuring the company through media coverage and its higher-level union organization. We are concerned that proceeding with negotiations under the current circumstances would further undermine mutual respect and trust."

It added, "We intend to resume talks at any time if the union stops its unilateral pressure tactics and seeks dialogue based on mutual respect and trust."

Samsung Biologics and its union have been at odds for more than six months over wage increases and benefits. They held 13 rounds of negotiations from December 2025 through March 2026 and also underwent mediation by the National Labor Relations Commission, but all efforts ended without an agreement.

In May 2026, the union launched the first full-scale strike in the company's history. On October 16, the Seoul High Court, in an appeal concerning an injunction to prohibit industrial action, expanded the list of work areas subject to restrictions from three to nine. It ruled that the union must maintain normal operating levels in those processes even during a strike. In response, the union provisionally suspended its second general strike and has called on the company to resume negotiations.

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