Samsung Biologics' Sangsaeng Labor Union announced on Nov. 4 that it will begin a second strike on Nov.

6 after negotiations with management broke down again. About 400 workers — roughly 10% of the union's roughly 4,000 members — are expected to take part, drawn from quality control (QC) testing, quality assurance (QA), logistics and indirect support functions within the production division.

The union said it plans to expand the process strike in stages while complying with the court's injunction, and stressed that the door to negotiations remains open even during the dispute.

The strike's shape is unusual because a court ruling forced the union to abandon its original plan.

According to Seoul Economic Daily, the union had planned a three-week general strike starting in late October, but postponed it after the Incheon branch of the Seoul High Court's first civil division expanded the scope of work barred from industrial action from three tasks to nine on Oct. 16.

Rather than push a general strike that would violate the injunction, the union pivoted to a narrower process strike targeting quality and support roles — and then pivoted again to a fresh walkout once renewed talks fell apart.

Talks were scheduled to resume on Nov. 3, but the session collapsed after management proposed a delay.

According to Seoul Economic Daily, management cited the union's demand to exclude and replace the company's lead negotiator; Chosunbiz reports that on Nov.

2 management accused the union of unilaterally denying the status of management's negotiators by demanding the complete exclusion and replacement of the chief negotiator.

The company says its commitment to reaching an accord on wages and the collective agreement remains unchanged, but added that constructive dialogue may prove difficult while the union pursues an expanded strike.

The dispute has run for more than six months over wage increases and changes to the personnel system.

According to Financial News, mediation broke down on March 23, after which the union staged a partial strike in late April and a full-scale strike from May 1 to 5, then kept up a work-to-rule campaign refusing overtime and holiday shifts.

Management says it will do its utmost to maintain stable operations and quality so that patients and client companies are not harmed — a critical pledge for a contract manufacturer whose clients depend on uninterrupted biologic drug production.

The union says it plans to expand the process strike sequentially while staying within the bounds of the injunction, leaving room for further escalation beyond the 400 workers slated for Nov. 6.

Both sides say dialogue channels remain open, so the second strike could still become leverage for a resumed session rather than a prolonged shutdown.

The immediate test is whether the dispute over the chief negotiator can be set aside; until it is, the standoff appears headed for a wider, staged walkout at the Songdo production complex.