Micron Taiwan union throws in the towel, admits ‘defeat’ in profit-share fight

Micron Technology union members gesture outside the company’s Taoyuan plant during a 24-hour strike on October 22, 2026, before the union said on November 12 it was quitting talks after admitting ‘defeat’ in its profit-sharing bid. — AFP pic

First Published: Thursday, 12 Nov 2026 5:51 PM MYT

TAIPEI, Nov 12 — A union representing workers at a Micron Technology plant in Taiwan said Thursday it will pull out of further talks with the US chip giant after “our defeat” in trying to secure a new profit-sharing deal.

Surging global demand for chips used in AI data centres has sent revenues soaring for firms like Micron, and as their earnings skyrocket, workers are calling for a bigger cut of profits.

Micron, which makes around 50-60 per cent of its memory chips in Taiwan, has been locked in weeks of talks over remuneration with a union representing hundreds of workers at its Taoyuan plant.

More than 2,000 employees had threatened to strike as they pushed for a bigger share of the company’s earnings.

In the end, only a handful of employees stopped working for one day.

“We formally acknowledge that our campaign to secure a profit-sharing system has not been successful, and we must continue our efforts in the future,” the union representing the Taoyuan workers said in a statement, acknowledging “our defeat”.

The union said its members could go ahead and sign an agreement with the company, adding that it will “no longer participate” in negotiations scheduled for November 17.

Micron did not immediately respond.

At Micron’s larger plant in Taichung, the union representing thousands of workers there signed an agreement with the company last month after they “reached consensus on a number of matters”, a joint statement said at the time.

Micron had agreed to move to a quarterly profit-sharing bonus system, in addition to the annual bonus, and increase the company’s pension contribution, Micron Taiwan Chairman Lu Donghui said. — AFP