Micron's Taoyuan union in Taiwan secures authorisation to strike

TAIPEI — A Taiwanese union representing workers at Micron Technology said on Wednesday (Oct 7) it had secured authorisation from its members to strike work over a dispute concerning the company's bonus scheme, escalating a labour conflict at the chipmaker's largest manufacturing hub.

The union, which represents workers at Micron's operations in the northern city of Taoyuan, said 1,994 members, or 99 per cent of those casting ballots, voted in favour of a strike. It said details of any strike, including its timing, were still under discussion.

Taiwan is a crucial production centre for Micron's DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, key components in AI servers. A labour action could amplify supply concerns in an already tight memory-chip market.

Micron employs about 15,000 people in Taiwan, with separate unions representing workers at its Taoyuan and Taichung operations.

Mediation with the Taoyuan union ended without agreement in September, while the Taichung union remains in negotiations.

Together, the two unions represent more than 80 per cent of Micron's Taiwan workforce.

Micron in September announced fiscal 2026 rewards for more than 60,000 employees globally following what it described as an "extraordinary year" for the company. That included employees in Taiwan receiving a T$1 million (S$40,000) cash bonus.

However, the Taoyuan union said the package failed to address its demand for a permanent profit-sharing mechanism and criticised Micron for announcing them while labour mediation was underway without first reaching an agreement with the union.