– DRAM crisis has driven record profits for memory makers, with Samsung’s memory division posting a 4,800% profit surge in Q1 2026.
– Samsung restricts employee bonuses to 50% of regular annual income; union seeks a 15% operating-profit bonus pool and removal of the cap.
– An 18-day strike (May 21–June 7) with >50,000 workers could cost Samsung production up to 3 trillion won per day, with total impact up to 100 trillion won due to pre-shutdown and delayed ramp-up.
– The strike risks worsening the DRAM shortage by significantly reducing global DRAM and NAND production for several weeks.
The DRAM crisis has unsurprisingly led to record profits for memory manufacturers such as Samsung Semiconductor. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Samsung was able to increase profits in its memory division by 4,800 percent, a surge that has surprised many observers and investors alike. Yet the benefits of this extraordinary performance are not evenly shared within the company. Samsung restricts bonus payments to a maximum of 50 percent of regular annual income, a policy that has sparked discontent among rank-and-file employees who feel the windfall is skewed toward executives and shareholders rather than the workforce.
Industry profits vs worker bonuses
To address what it calls persistent inequities, the union is pressing Samsung to set aside 15 percent of operating profits to be paid out to employees as part of a bonus pool. It also demands that the current maximum limit on bonus payments be abolished altogether, arguing that workers deserve a fair share of the profits generated by the company’s recent success. In response, the union has announced plans for a prolonged strike, an 18-day strike from May 21 to June 7, with more than 50,000 employees expected to participate.
Strike timeline and scale
Analysts warn that this strike could be costly for Samsung, as downtime mounts and supply chains strain. Every day of production downtime is expected to result in a loss of up to 3 trillion won (approx. $2 billion). However, production will be interrupted for much longer than three weeks, as Samsung will have to shut down production almost a week in advance and it will take two to three weeks before production can be resumed at full capacity. For this reason, the total cost of this strike is estimated at up to 100 trillion won (approx. $66.7 billion). This strike could also further exacerbate the DRAM crisis, as global DRAM and NAND production will be significantly reduced for several weeks.
Projected economic toll
Beyond the immediate financial implications, the strike threatens to deepen the global DRAM shortages that have already unsettled manufacturers and customers alike. If production remains curtailed for weeks, suppliers may scramble for alternative memory sources, and prices could swing unpredictably. Stakeholders should watch how the company balances incentives for its workers with its long‑term strategy in a market still dominated by supply constraints and volatile demand.
