Micron union in Taiwan to launch strike as bonus dispute escalates

Taiwan's Micron Technology union announced plans to stage a strike on Thursday, aligning with a mediation session between the US chipmaker and another collective representing employees at its Taichung facility. The move escalates a long-standing dispute over employee bonuses at one of Micron's most crucial manufacturing sites, where the company produces DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips – essential components for AI servers.

The Taoyuan union, representing around 15,000 workers, aims to demonstrate solidarity with the Taichung union and apply additional pressure on Micron to present a concrete profit-sharing proposal. Despite investing over T$1.6 trillion ($49 billion) in Taiwan, Micron and the Taoyuan union failed to reach an agreement in September's mediation.

The Taichung union, which oversees the company's largest manufacturing operation in Taiwan, remains in talks with Micron and has not yet voted on a potential strike. The Taoyuan union has not disclosed the duration of the solidarity strike, stating it will provide further details on Thursday. President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan urged both Micron and its workforce to engage in sincere negotiations last week.