Samsung's 48,000 workers call off strike after last-minute AI profit deal

Samsung's largest union suspended an 18-day strike threat after reaching a tentative pay deal that gives workers a bigger slice of the company's AI windfall. The dispute centered on bonuses tied to Samsung's trillion-dollar valuation surge, with workers demanding structured profit-sharing like rival SK Hynix offers its employees. Korean stocks rallied on the news, but the real test comes when union members vote on whether a one-time payment beats the annual formula they wanted. For Samsung, avoiding production disruption matters less than the precedent: if AI profits become contractual rather than discretionary, every tech giant faces similar pressure.