Samsung to pay $339,000 bonus to semiconductor division employees
Samsung has managed to prevent a large-scale strike in its semiconductor division. Management agreed to record-breaking payouts, totaling nearly 40 trillion won (approximately $26.6 billion). Estimates suggest each employee will receive an average bonus of $339,000. This is reported by Ixbt.com .
The company agreed to allocate 10.5% of annual profits to stock-based bonuses and another 1.5% to cash payments. Although this is less than the 15% demanded by the union, the offer exceeded the levels of competitors, particularly SK Hynix. Importantly, this program is not a one-time event but is designed for 10 years, contingent on meeting performance targets.
Employees can sell approximately one-third of the received shares immediately, while the remainder will be eligible for sale in stages over two years. The dispute between Samsung management and workers arose against the backdrop of the AI boom. This technology has sharply increased demand for DRAM and HBM memory chips.
Samsung remains one of the world's three main manufacturers of these chips, alongside Micron and SK Hynix. In the first quarter of 2026, the semiconductor division provided up to 94% of Samsung's total operating profit, which became the employees' main argument in negotiations.
Previously, the union had planned an 18-day strike, which could have significantly impacted the global memory chip market. However, the parties reached an agreement one day before the strike was set to begin. Employees also succeeded in abolishing the bonus cap, which had been limited to 50% of their annual salary.
