Samsung's largest union has voted in favour of a massive bonus package for employees in the company's semiconductor division, marking a major win for chip workers amid a global AI-driven boom. The latest approval comes on the heels of intense pressure from labour unions, following a threat by employees to launch an 18-day strike, according to India Today.
According to the agreement, each eligible employee in the chip division will receive an average bonus of around $340,000 (approximately Rs 3.25 crore) this year, following strong performance in Samsung's memory chip business.
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Highlighting the massive scale of the upcoming package, Samsung Electronics has confirmed it employs approximately 78,000 workers within its semiconductor division alone. Based on these staffing figures, the tech giant is projected to expend an estimated $26.5 billion solely on employee bonuses. Reports indicated the chip unit recorded a massive jump in income, driving the decision to share profits with employees.
The approval followed a vote in which 73.7% of participating union members backed the agreement, the union said Wednesday. Around 62,600 ballots were cast, representing more than 95% of eligible members. The deal required support from a simple majority of votes cast to pass.
Samsung's massive bonus payout is restricted exclusively to its 78,000-employee chip-making division, which supplies processors and memory chips for smartphones, laptops, vehicles, and AI data centres. Driven by projected 2026 operating profits, payout estimates vary.
Bloomberg reported an average bonus of roughly 513 million won ($340,000), while Yonhap News projects memory division workers could receive up to 600 million won (Rs 3.82 crore) each. These figures represent a sharp increase from 2025, when Samsung employees earned an average of 158 million won (Rs 1 crore), as per India Today.
Reports indicate the tech giant accounts for approximately 12.5% of South Korea's gross domestic product (GDP), with memory chips alone driving about 35% of the nation's total exports.
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Under the terms of the new agreement, annual bonuses for the company's semiconductor division will equal 10.5% of the segment's operating profit, distributed in shares, alongside an additional 1.5% payout in cash.
This compensation package follows a dramatic financial turnaround for the tech giant, which recorded a 49-fold increase in its semiconductor income last quarter, as per the report.
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