About 40,000 Samsung Electronics workers rallied on Thursday, demanding a larger share of the company's booming profits.

Unions warned they could launch an 18-day strike if their demands are not met, potentially disrupting the production of chips necessary to feed the growing AI industry.

The South Korean giant said it would continue efforts to reach a swift agreement in ongoing wage negotiations.

What are Samsung unions demands?

Samsung unions said the company failed to offer an adequate pay package despite its strong performance. Samsung's shares have surged nearly 300% over the past year, driven by demand for AI chips.

The unions want Samsung to remove the cap on bonus pay, among other demands. The cap is currently set at 50% of the annual base salary.

The unions say that a chip division employee earning 76 million won ($51,000, €44,000) would receive a 2025 bonus of 38 million won ($26,000, € 22,000).…