Samsung Electronics Co.'s labor union instructed its striking members Thursday to return to work by early next week, but made it clear the strike will continue for the long haul.

The National Samsung Electronics Union, the largest labor union of the South Korean tech giant, made the announcement on its YouTube channel, calling on its 31,000 members to go back to work, effective immediately, and by next Monday to shift the fight to "a long-term plan."

"We need a transition of the struggle to reduce the economic burden of union members as we continue to pressure the management," the union said on YouTube.

"Since the strike has entered a prolonged phase due to the breakdown of the final negotiations, we will move forward by staging blitz walkouts and compliance actions to ensure the success of the ongoing efforts," the union said.

The union's decision came as the negotiations with the company management over wage hikes and improving other benefits remain deadlocked with no signs of a breakthrough.

The prolonged strike, now into the fourth week, appears to have spurred calls for an exit strategy or other alternatives to continue the struggle while minimizing the financial burdens for workers.

The labor union staged a protest rally in front of the residence of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong earlier in the day, urging Lee to engage in the strike to resolve the situation.

"It's time for Chairman Lee to come forward and clarify his position to resolve the general strike," the NSEU said at a press conference in front of Lee's home in Seoul.

The union and management held the latest round of wage talks for three days from Monday but failed to reach any agreement.

The chairman of the world's largest memory chipmaker is on an overseas trip to attend the ongoing 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The NSEU, representing 31,000 workers, or about 24 percent of Samsung Electronics' 125,000-strong workforce, has been on a full-scale strike since July 8.

The union is demanding a 5.6 percent basic pay raise for all members, a guaranteed day off on the union's founding day and compensation for economic losses due to the strike.

In contrast, Samsung Electronics has offered a 5.1 percent increase in wages, while emphasizing its commitment to building a win-win labor-management relationship.

At an earnings call the previous day, Samsung Electronics stressed that the ongoing strike has had little impact on the company's production and vowed to do its best to resolve the dispute as soon as possible. (Yonhap)