Incheon: Unionized workers at Samsung Biologics Co. have voted to go on strike in support of higher wages in this year's negotiations, the union said Monday. In a vote held Sunday, members of the 3,689-strong union voted in favor of taking such industrial action unless the company meets their demands. The union represents about 75 percent of the company's workforce.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the union has demanded an average 14 percent wage increase, 30 million won (US$22,000) in incentives, performance-based pay equivalent to 20 percent of operating profit, and the distribution of treasury shares over three years. The company has proposed a 6.2 percent wage increase in response to these demands.

The union also urged the company to obtain its prior consent on key management decisions, including executive appointments. If no agreement is reached, the union plans to stage a general strike on May 1 at local facilities. If carried out, it would mark the first industrial action since the company's establishment in 2011.

A walkout could disrupt production schedules for the company's contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) operations. Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of Samsung Group, said it signed CDMO contracts with global pharmaceutical companies worth more than 6 trillion won in 2025, surpassing the previous year's total of 5.4 trillion won.