South Korean Workers at Samsung begin a 3 day strike for better pay and benefits, the head of a union representing tens of thousands of employees told AFP, warning that the action could affect memory chip production. Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chip maker, contributes significantly to the global high-end chip output.

Thousands of workers, dressed in rain jackets and wearing ribbons that read “fight with solidarity,” gathered outside Samsung’s foundry and semiconductor factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, an hour south of Seoul. Samsung management has been negotiating with the union since January, but they have been unable to agree on benefits and a 5.1% pay raise, which the union rejected.

The union head Son Woo-mok announcing it as just the beginning. Around 5,200 workers from various sectors joined the protest, with instructions to avoid work and business calls until July 10th. The union, which represents over a fifth of Samsung’s workforce, declared the three-day strike after failed negotiations, following a previous one-day walkout in June. Workers rejected a 5.1% pay hike and demand better annual leave and transparent bonuses. Samsung, which has a long history of anti-union practices, declined to comment. The strike includes key chip assembly line workers, potentially posing significant risks to Samsung’s market position.