Samsung Biologics' labor union launched a partial strike on April 28.
About 60 members from the materials-handling unit joined the walkout on that day; the partial strike is scheduled to continue through April 30.
The union has demanded clearer personnel policies and the elimination of pay disparities within the group. Since an initial meeting in December, management and the union have held 13 bargaining sessions but have been unable to bridge their differences.
The union has warned it will stage a full strike next month if talks do not advance. This would be the company's first strike since its founding in 2011. Roughly 2,000 union members have indicated they would participate.
A court order, however, barred the strike from disrupting final-stage operations—such as measures to prevent drug spoilage and contamination—so personnel in those departments were exempted from the action.
Industry analysts say the dispute has surfaced amid a period of expansion in the company's production facilities, and they view the negotiation outcome as a key indicator of Samsung Biologics' operational stability and risk-management capabilities.
The company says it is working to minimize production disruption. A Samsung Biologics spokesperson said, \"We are reallocating available personnel to reduce disruptions,\" and added, \"We will continue talks to resolve the issue.\"
