Samsung is facing growing tensions among its largest workers’ union after thousands of employees left the group. The workers were unhappy with a new bonus agreement that gave much bigger rewards to employees in the company’s semiconductor business.

In April, the union became Samsung’s majority union after gaining more than 76,000 members. This gave it strong power to represent workers during talks with the company. However, its membership has now dropped to about 58,000 members. Since Samsung has nearly 129,000 employees, a union needs at least 64,440 members to remain the majority union.

The drop in support happened after Samsung and the union agreed on a wage and bonus deal for 2026. The agreement prevented a planned strike, but it upset many workers. Under the deal, employees in the semiconductor division are expected to receive very large bonuses. Other workers in the chip business will also receive significant payments.

However, employees in the division that makes smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and other consumer products will receive much smaller bonuses. Many of these workers felt the agreement was unfair. They believed the union focused mainly on semiconductor workers and did not properly represent employees in other parts of the company.

Due to this dissatisfaction, many workers left the union and joined rival labor groups. Other Samsung unions have seen a sharp increase in membership in recent weeks.

To regain workers’ trust, the union plans to negotiate separately for the semiconductor and consumer divisions. It will also hold a confidence vote for its chairman, Choi Seung-ho, on June 17 to address concerns from members and enhance the organization.

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