hankyoreh

Photos of the hands of workers on Samsung Electronics’ 8-inch semiconductor production line at its Giheung campus. Many workers on the production line say they suffer from degenerative osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, varicose veins, and other physical ailments due to the intensity of their labor. That’s in addition to the women who work on the line saying that they aren’t free to use menstrual leave or paid time off. (courtesy of the National Samsung Electronics Union)

On Saturday, six days into the general strike by the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), someone in the KakaoTalk group chat operated by striking union members who work on the 8-inch semiconductor production line at Samsung’s Giheung plant posted a photo of their thumb, which has become deformed from their work.  

“My thumb is becoming deformed,” the worker wrote. “My thumb is a badge of honor from the 8-inch production line.”

Workers on this production line are known not only for their deformed fingers but for a laundry list of physical ailments such as varicose veins, plantar fasciitis, and slipped discs. Employees posted numerous messages and photos about their conditions in the group chat. 

According to the NSEU, the 8-inch semiconductor production line was operating at a mere 18% capacity on July 8, the first day of the strike. Normally, the line operates at 80% capacity. Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s who make up the lion’s share of the workers on the line are actively involved in the strike. All too acquainted with on-the-job injuries, these women told the Hankyoreh that pay raises and more days off aren’t their top concern.

“We just don’t want to be treated as disposable parts.” 

In response to our inquiries about worker safety, a Samsung Electronics spokesperson replied, “We obey all work site safety standards dictated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.”

“In spite of the strike, we are still meeting our production quotas, and are drafting countermeasures to ensure that there are no problems going forward,” the spokesperson added. 

“We are machines”

The 8-inch production line at Samsung’s Giheung plant is a foundry that produces 8-inch silicon wafers. A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor, such as crystalline silicon, used for the fabrication of integrated circuits. These wafers are used in the manufacturing of automobiles and various home appliances. 

Samsung’s 12-inch line utilizes an overhead hoist transport (OHT) system, an automated transport network that operates along tracks installed on the ceiling, to move bundles of 25 wafers called “lots.” On the 8-inch line, however, this transportation is done manually. There is much more market demand for 12-inch wafers, so Samsung has modernized and automated many processes. The 8-inch line, however, is outdated. This is the same production line where two employees were exposed to X-ray radiation this past May. 

Workers on this line manually transport the lots, which weigh between 3 and 5 kilograms, and feed them into machinery that completes the manufacturing process and spits them back out. That’s what these workers do, over and over for eight hours a day, on their feet the whole time. The work deforms their fingers and wrecks their legs with varicose veins. A worker identified as “A” is in her 15th year of employment on this production line. She rotates between three shifts: 6 am, 2 pm, and 10 pm. 

“Technically, we get an hour for lunch, but the machinery never stops operating, so someone has to fill that spot at all times,” Worker A added. 

“We’re so busy we can’t even eat or go to the bathroom without stressing out.”

Worker B is in her 25th year on the line. 

“After suffering from a severe bladder infection, I no longer drink water before work, and I don’t even look at coffee,” she said. 

Members of the National Samsung Electronics Union gather at a rally kicking off their strike outside the main gate of the Hwaseong campus on July 8, 2024. (Kim Young-won/Hankyoreh)

The company sets production quotas, and every group is evaluated based on performance, adding psychological pressure to the grueling physical labor. 

“When someone is exempt from overtime due to a pregnancy, they don’t send anyone in their place, which means those of us left on the line just have to do more work,” said Worker A.  

“I was diagnosed with depression and even admitted myself to a psychiatric ward. Many of my colleagues also suffer from depression.” 

In response to such testimonies, the Samsung spokesperson replied, “We operate a preventative musculoskeletal exercise center and a health enhancement room to promote the health of our line workers.”

“We strictly adhere to the standards outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act regarding the musculoskeletal health of our workers,” the spokesperson added.

“There is no evidence to suggest that sickness or injury rates on the 8-inch are higher than other production lines, and there have been no applications for workers’ compensation for industrial accidents from that line.” 

“Can’t take a break even if we want to”

For night shift workers, who deal with disrupted circadian rhythms, days off are essential. Yet a shortage of workers makes vacation days just numbers on paper. Workers don’t dare to actually take a day off. 

Worker C, who started working for Samsung in 2010 and has spent most of her time on the 8-inch line, said, “Other departments apparently have to use their mandatory PTO, but when we schedule days off, we have to do a lottery.”

Worker D, who is in her 15th year at the company, said, “Even if we get new employees, many of them can’t handle the night shifts and quit, so we’re always shorthanded.”

“If too many people want to use their vacation days, we have to play rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets to,” Worker D said.

When questioned about this issue, the Samsung spokesperson said, “The claim that employees are restricted from using their vacation days is a one-sided one made by only a handful of employees.” 

Many of the workers on the 8-inch line graduated from specialized vocational and trade high schools. They have endured their working conditions by telling themselves they work for a “top global corporation.” Now, they are joining the NSEU strike to make a statement: Don’t treat us like machine components.

Worker E, who is in her 15th year at the company, said the strike is “a part of the process of finding a way to prevent the harmful practices of the 8-inch line from being passed on, a way to change them.” 

“The reality is that the company is ignoring the words of the union, so I decided I couldn’t just stand by and watch,” she said. 

This is the first general strike in Samsung Electronics’ 55-year history, and it appears likely that the forewarned setbacks to production quotas may become a reality. Although Samsung is denying it, numerous workers on the 8-inch line told the Hankyoreh that over half of the line’s workers have joined the strike. 

“The company needs to acknowledge that the accumulated disappointment and anger of the workers is what’s fueling the strike,” an NSEU insider said. 

The NSEU held a rally in front of Samsung’s Giheung plant on Monday. 

By Park Tae-woo, staff reporter

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