Samsung Elec, labour union fail to reach pay deal as strike looms

SEOUL, May 13 : Samsung Electronics and its South Korean labor union failed to reach a pay deal on Wednesday, its union leader said, ahead of a planned lengthy strike that threatens to disrupt production of AI and other chips. The impasse followed hours of marathon talks on Monday and Tuesday under a government-mediated process, as pressure from the public and the government mounted on Samsung workers to compromise on the pay deal and avert a strike. “I would like to express some regret that none of the agenda items requested by the union have been addressed," union representative Choi Seung-ho told reporters at about 3 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The union has said that if its demands are not met, workers will strike on May 21 for 18 days.