Samsung bonus ordeal highlights importance of social dialogue, says ILO chief

Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), emphasized the critical need for social dialogue in navigating the complex issue of profit distribution within burgeoning artificial intelligence industries. He highlighted the recent bonus negotiations at Samsung Electronics as a significant example that could foreshadow growing global disputes over the sharing of profits generated by AI.

In an exclusive interview with The Hankyoreh, Houngbo stated that the Samsung Electronics situation underscores the value of collaboration between labor, management, and government. This was particularly evident in the last-minute compromise reached between the Samsung Electronics union and the company, mediated by the Minister of Employment and Labor, just an hour before a planned strike.

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the value of social dialogue.

Houngbo pointed out that the Samsung case leaves many questions unanswered regarding the division of profits between different sectors, the recognition of contributions from subcontractors within the supply chain, and the distribution of profits to shareholders. He stressed that addressing these complexities requires robust social dialogue, involving all relevant parties.

"Rather than being a 'brake on innovation,' social dialogue was a way to 'make innovation sustainable, trusted and fair,'" Houngbo remarked. He arrived in Korea on May 20 to attend the unveiling of Seoul's plan for a "Global AI Hub" and spoke ahead of the upcoming Hankyoreh Human and Digital Forum on "The Future of Work and Learning in the AI Era."

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Rather than being a “brake on innovation,” social dialogue was a way to “make innovation sustainable, trusted and fair.”