Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics’ South Korean facilities voted on Wednesday (March 18) to launch a general strike in May over performance-based bonuses.

According to a report from KoreaTimes, more than 73 percent of the 90,000-strong membership from three labor unions participated in the vote, with 66,000 – just over 93 percent – voting in favor of strike action.

The vote was called after mediation efforts were halted earlier this month, with unionized workers having reportedly been engaged in negotiations with Samsung management since November. The walkout will be the second instance of strike action led by the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), with the first taking place in June 2024. It was the first-ever strike in the company’s history.

Employees are asking for improved transparency with regard to how performance-based bonuses are calculated, in addition to the removal of a cap on bonuses and a seven percent wage increase. Management has proposed a 6.2 percent wage increase and the issuance of 20 company shares, while also addressing transparency demands, KoreaTimes said.

However, negotiations have broken down over the cap on bonuses as incentives are tied to operating profits by business divisions, as the semiconductor unit has seen the strongest contributions.

No date for the May strike action was confirmed in the report.