Samsung Biologics labor dispute drags on as union stages another strike

Samsung Biologics unionized employees resumed their strike on Friday, as ongoing wage and collective bargaining talks between the labor union and management have stretched beyond six months. With global competitors rapidly expanding their contract drug manufacturing capacity, there are mounting worries that the prolonged labor dispute might tarnish Samsung Biologics' image as a dependable supplier, ensuring timely delivery of the projected drug volumes.

The Samsung Biologics union announced the partial strike on Friday, without organizing a separate demonstration. The strike is expected to persist for approximately three weeks, concluding by November 27. Around 400 workers, constituting roughly 10 percent of the union's 4,000 members, are involved in the strike. These workers are employed in quality control testing, quality assurance, logistics, and production departments.

Samsung Biologics' labor and management declared a deadlock in their 2026 wage and collective bargaining negotiations in March, leading the union to initiate a partial strike in April, the first since the company's inception in 2011.