Micron workers begin strike at Taiwan plant over profit sharing
Five workers gathered outside Micron’s Taoyuan plant after bonus talks failed, AFP reported. The union says negotiations will resume on October 23.
Micron Technology workers began strike action at the company’s Taoyuan plant in Taiwan on October 22 after talks over bonuses and profit sharing failed, AFP reported. Five striking workers gathered outside the plant while Micron held a conference call with hundreds of other employees at the facility. The extent of participation beyond the group outside was not immediately clear.
The action follows the Taoyuan union’s previously announced plan to strike, covered in an earlier NewsJaws report. More than 2,000 employees had planned to stop work on October 22, according to AFP. The union is seeking a larger share of Micron’s earnings as demand for chips used in artificial intelligence data centres lifts revenue across the industry.
What Micron’s Taoyuan union is seeking
The Taoyuan union wants a one-time bonus equivalent to 83 months of salary and a permanent system allocating 15% of Micron’s operating profits to worker bonuses, paid quarterly. Micron said in September that it would give staff a one-time payment worth up to 68 months of pay, according to AFP, but workers rejected it.
Jerry Lin, chairman of the Taoyuan workers’ union, said negotiations at the Taoyuan City government on October 21 ended without agreement. A banner outside the plant said Micron had failed to propose a profit-sharing scheme. Lin said talks with the company would continue on October 23.
Micron said late on October 21 that it remained eager to maintain communication and dialogue with the Taoyuan union. Union official Wei Yu-ling warned that more workers could join the strike if the company failed to present what she called a sincere proposal.
A separate agreement at Micron’s Taichung plant
Micron and the union at its larger Taichung facility announced on October 21 that they had reached consensus on several matters and signed a labour-management agreement. They did not disclose its terms. Lin said the Taoyuan union’s views had not been properly considered in those negotiations and condemned the separate agreement.
Engineer Hsu Fun-ting, who AFP reported has worked for Micron for 26 years, said she was disappointed that the company had reached an agreement only with the Taichung union. The Taoyuan union’s demand for a continuing share of profits remains unresolved ahead of its scheduled talks with Micron on October 23.
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Sources and context
- Handful of Micron workers strike in TaiwanThe Straits Times / AFP
- LocationsMicron Technology
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.