Samsung Electronics could soon have a sixth labour union, with an application to establish another employee group reportedly filed with South Korea’s labour ministry.

The proposed union is understood to be linked to former and current leaders from Samsung’s second-largest union, which represents workers in the Device eXperience division covering consumer electronics and mobile devices.

Samsung’s largest union, whose membership is heavily drawn from the company’s semiconductor operations, said the application was lodged on Wednesday.

The move comes amid reports of disagreements within the existing Device eXperience union, although those claims are disputed.

Samsung

A labour official cited in the report said tensions between former and current leaders of the smaller union had intensified and may have contributed to the push for a separate organisation.

However, the Device eXperience union rejected suggestions that the new group was being established because of internal disputes.

The planned union is expected to focus primarily on employees working within Samsung’s consumer electronics and mobile operations.

Its structure, membership scope and broader activities have not yet been confirmed.

If approved, the new group would add another layer to Samsung Electronics’ increasingly complex labour landscape, with several unions already representing workers across different parts of the company.