Samsung Workers' Protest, 10 pointers (Image: X/@cpimspeak)
Over 1,000 workers from Samsung India’s manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur, Chennai have been on strike since September 9 demanding recognition for their newly formed union, Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam (SIWU), and also for wage revisions. Since the protest has completed a month of tussle and disputes, Tamil Nadu police employed the midnight knock and turned up at the houses of some of the protesting workers on Tuesday.
Here are the key developments in the ongoing strike:
• Strike Continues Despite Government Intervention
Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries, T.R.B. Rajaa, urged the protesting employees to return to work and assured them that their union would be recognised after the court’s verdict, but the workers refused to back down.
•Police photographed several Samsung workers who were prevented from going to the factory and dismantled the protest tent after the Revenue Divisional Officer filed a complaint stating that the protest was being held on government land.
•The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) declared that the strike would continue as the workers’ primary demand for recognition of the newly formed Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) was not met.
The employer Samsung agreed to all the demands by addressing it as an illegal protest.
If tomorrow if they don’t comply the legal options to the employees are closed.
A clear message to the world about how incompetent DMK handled this issue. Time shall say both Employer and… pic.twitter.com/O366Zz0Jbp— Kovai Sathyan (@KovaiSathyan) October 9, 2024
• Around 250 striking Samsung electronics workers were detained and later released by the Kancheepuram police for allegedly occupying private land without permission and holding protests without permission.
Samsung India Workers’ Protest
• Last week, Samsung agreed to many of the workers’ demands, including a Rs five thousand increment but refused to recognise the union which led to a standoff between the workers and management.
• The Madras High Court permitted the workers to protest peacefully after they approached the court following the removal of their protest canopy by authorities on October 7.
• Seven Samsung workers were arrested and later released on bail for allegedly assaulting a police officer after a road accident unrelated to the protests and the workers in defiance walked towards the protest site on October 9.
DYFI DELHI condemns the arrest of SIWU office bearers by the anti-worker, anti-union Tamil Nadu Government. Seven Office Bearers of the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) were arrested for committing the “crime” of forming a trade union under the Indian Constitution! pic.twitter.com/29MoyOzntI
— DYFI DELHI (@DyfiDelhi) October 9, 2024
• Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu appealed to the CITU to withdraw the protest, assuring that the state labour department will comply with the court order on recognising the Samsung workers’ union.
• Samsung managed to minimise the impact of the strike by roping in contract workers and its logistics team, despite initial production disruptions. The employees started arriving at the site on Wednesday even after it was raining torrentially. Later, 616 striking workers, including CITU state president A Soundararajan were detained.
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) urged an early resolution to the strike to avoid denting the state’s investment momentum.
Also, read| Samsung Workers Strike: “No Disruption To Production,” Says Firm
