Taiwan sees its first chip-industry strike at Micron
Taiwan saw its first strike in the chip industry, at a Micron plant.
Evenly newsroomKey facts
- The union at Micron's Taoyuan plant held a 24-hour strike on October 22.
- It wants 15% of operating profit paid as bonuses every quarter.
- Only a few union officers walked out, and talks continue.
Workers at Micron Technology's memory chip plant in Taoyuan, Taiwan, held a 24-hour warning strike from 9 a.m. on October 22 to 9 a.m. on October 23, 2026. Nikkei Asia reported that it was the first strike in Taiwan's semiconductor industry.
The Taoyuan union, which represents about 3,000 workers, wants Micron to pay 15% of its operating profit as employee bonuses every quarter, a system modeled on South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. The union says the way bonuses are calculated today is not transparent. In a vote earlier this month, 1,994 of its 2,258 members supported a strike.
Turnout was small. According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, most members kept working and only 11 union officers took part. Micron said it respects employees' legal rights and will negotiate in good faith with its unions.
Micron's other union in Taiwan, in Taichung, which covers about 12,300 workers, signed an agreement with the company on October 21. The terms were not made public. The Taoyuan union planned new talks with management on October 23 and said it would ask more members to join the strike if the offer falls short.
Taiwan produces 50 to 60% of Micron's chips. Demand for memory used in artificial intelligence has pushed the company to record profits.
- Where
- Taoyuan, Taiwan
- When
- Oct 22, 2026
