CITU Continues Samsung Strike as Police Detain Protest Leaders

Workers at Samsung’s plant in Sriperumbudur, affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), continued their strike on Wednesday, marking the 31st day of their protest. The situation at the protest site saw a heavy police presence, leading to the detention of several workers following a scuffle with law enforcement, who were urging them to vacate certain areas. Notably, CITU State President A. Soundararajan and another union leader were among those detained.

Soundararajan warned that the ongoing protest could lead to significant political repercussions if management fails to address the workers’ demands. “In the last 30 days, we have not involved any political party. Now, as we have asked for their support, they have started coming, and this will take its political course. Many political ramifications will be there,” he stated.

The Tamil Nadu government has urged the protesting workers to return to work, emphasizing the welfare of other employees. On Monday, Samsung announced it had reached a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with some employees to resolve the protest. However, CITU leaders contested that the agreement was signed with workers not participating in the strike.

The strike will continue as the key demand for recognition of the newly formed Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) remains unmet. The MoA signed between the company and the workmen’s committee stipulates that Samsung will implement measures to enhance wage competitiveness in consultation with the committee. Additionally, as a response to the current financial situation, the company will provide an interim special incentive, the ‘Productivity Stabilisation Incentive’, amounting to ₹5,000 per month, effective from October 2024 to March 2025.

Earlier this month, CITU organized a ‘road roko’ across Tamil Nadu, with over 900 workers participating in the protest in Kanchipuram district. Police detained several workers during this event but later released them. A case has been filed against the workers under eight different sections.

The strike at Samsung India’s manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur, which began on September 9, 2024, involves hundreds of workers demanding recognition of the SIWU and a wage increase. Out of the 1,800 workers at the facility, approximately 1,000 joined the protest, although the company maintained that production remained unaffected. The Sriperumbudur facility, opened in 2007, is one of Samsung’s two manufacturing plants in India, the other located in Noida, and produces various consumer electronics, including televisions, washing machines, and air conditioners.