Taiwan president calls for Micron, workers to negotiate ’sincerely’ ahead of possible strike

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged US memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology and its employees to engage in earnest discussions to prevent a potential strike. Last week, a Taiwanese union representing Micron workers obtained authorization to strike due to disagreements over the company’s bonus structure, intensifying a labor dispute at Micron’s largest manufacturing facility in Taiwan.

Micron employs around 15,000 individuals in Taiwan, one of its most significant manufacturing centers, and has invested over T$1.6 trillion ($49.4 billion) in the country. Speaking at the inauguration of a new Micron assembly and testing site in Taichung, Tsai expressed hope that the government and private sector could collaborate to improve communication between labor and management.

She emphasized the importance of maintaining a spirit where "fish need water and water needs fish," encouraging ongoing sincere negotiations to reach a broad consensus. Tsai acknowledged Micron’s dedication to Taiwan and hoped the company would continue expanding its investments on the island, noting that Micron had received government backing for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) research and development.

Micron’s President and COO, Manish Bhatia, did not address a possible strike during his remarks, stating that the company had allocated all 2027 capacity for the new factory and anticipating the high-bandwidth memory market to grow faster than the overall DRAM industry through 2028. Neither Micron nor the unions responded to inquiries regarding Tsai’s comments.

Last week, the two unions representing Taoyuan and Taichung operations urged Micron to present a concrete profit-sharing plan. Mediation with the Taoyuan union concluded without an agreement in September, while the Taichung union remains in talks. The unions are urging members to take a day off on October 19 to participate in a rally in Taipei, which they claim will not constitute a strike.