Up to €300,000 in bonuses: Samsung’s AI agreement makes some employees furious

After five months of tough negotiations, a compromise was reached at the world’s leading memory chip manufacturer. On Wednesday, May 27, employees of Samsung Electronics overwhelmingly approved a new profit-sharing scheme mediated by the South Korean government. With 74% of votes in favor, the agreement rules out the prospect of an 18-day strike that would have severely impacted the South Korean economy and component supply. In a market where chips are essential to AI infrastructure, the group has therefore bet on exceptional remuneration to secure its workforce.

A financial agreement tied to AI profits

The ten-year contract calls for Samsung to allocate 10.5% of its semiconductor division’s operating profit to special bonuses for its technicians and engineers. This will be supplemented by an additional cash payment of 1.5%. According to estimates based on current results, an employee with a base salary of 80 million won (about €40,000) will receive a total bonus approaching €310,000 this year, mainly in the form of shares.Among the 125,000 employees of the group in South Korea, around 78,000 people are covered by this scheme.

These exceptional bonuses therefore depend directly on the health of the sector. Samsung saw its operating profit soar by 750% in the first quarter, while its stock market valuation passed the symbolic $1 trillion mark. The very strong demand from AI data centers has caused a shortage of components, allowing manufacturers to raise their prices and increase their margins. This boom benefits not only Samsung: its competitors SK Hynix and Micron have also seen their market capitalization exceed $1 trillion.

An internal social divide and repercussions throughout the industry

If chip engineers now see their social status rival that of doctors or lawyers in South Korea, the situation is causing a stir internally. Employees in less profitable divisions, such as mobile phones or consumer electronics, would receive significantly lower bonuses. A minority union has also reportedly sought a court order to block the vote, while a group of investors is threatening to file a complaint, arguing that this profit-sharing arrangement should have been put to a vote at a general meeting.

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This exceptional deal has just set a precedent and is already having repercussions far beyond the South Korean giant. Trade unions in other sectors of the economy, ranging from automotive to biotechnology, would use this example to demand a similar redistribution of profits. This remuneration strategy has nothing to do with generosity; it aims to counter the flight of talent to foreign competitors in an increasingly aggressive war for talent.

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Source: La Dépêche