Just one day after its formation, the Samsung SDS union in South Korea formally demanded collective bargaining from management. The union launched its membership application process on the afternoon of July 6th, attracting over 2,000 members within approximately two hours; by around 1:30 PM the following day (July 7th), membership had surged to 4,342. Samsung SDS has approximately 11,000 employees, and the union's goal is to gain over 5,500 members, representing a majority of more than half of the workforce. Samsung SDS previously distributed performance bonuses in cash; the company plans to change this to company stock equivalent to 20% of annual salary. Currently, employee voting on this plan is underway and will close at midnight on July 7th. Employees opposing the reform argue that stock-based bonuses are linked to external indicators such as stock price fluctuations, industry indices, and the external environment, making them difficult to liquidate and not included in retirement pension calculations, thus putting employees at a disadvantage.
