Taiwan President Urges Micron to Resolve Labor Bonus Dispute

President Lai Ching-te urged Micron Technology and its employees to negotiate in good faith following a labor dispute over the company's bonus scheme. The call for harmony came during the opening of a new advanced assembly and testing facility in Taichung, where the president stated that creating harmonious labor relations is the only way for both employees and businesses to win.

Tensions have escalated at the chipmaker's largest manufacturing hubs. A union representing Micron workers recently secured authorization from members to strike. While mediation with the Taoyuan union ended without an agreement in September, the Taichung union continues to negotiate. Unions are currently organizing a rally in Taipei for October 19, though they have clarified the event is not a strike.

Despite the labor unrest, Micron reports strong commercial momentum. President and COO Manish Bhatia announced that the company has already sold out all capacity for 2027 for the new Taichung facility, noting that high-bandwidth memory is expected to grow faster than the rest of the DRAM industry through 2028.