New Delhi, 19 September (H.S.): South Korean technology giant Samsung

Electronics sued members of a labour union backed by a left-wing political party.

Samsung's lawsuit asks a district court to restrain the union members from

agitating, sloganeering and making speeches in and around the factory near

Chennai.

In the past 11 days, about 1,500 workers of

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics are on strike, leading to

major disruptions in production. The plant in Chennai city, one of Samsung's

two factories in India, employs nearly 2,000 workers and produces home

appliances, contributing about a third to the company's annual $12 billion revenue in

India. A left-wing political party is backing the union, the company said.

The striking workers gather at a plot

of land near the 17 year-old factory daily, demanding that Samsung recognise

only their newly-formed labour union - the Samsung India Labour Welfare Union

(SILWU).

The workers have decided to

strike work indefinitely till their demands are met. Workers have three key

demands: Samsung must recognise the new union, allow collective bargaining, and

reject competing unions as about 90% of the workforce belongs to SILWU,” said A

Soundararajan, member of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), backed by the

Communist Party of India (Marxist).

According to CITU, Samsung

Electronics Chennai factory workers, earning an average of ₹25,000 per

month, are demanding staggered raises totalling a 50% increase over the next

three years. CITU also alleged that workers at the plant were being pressurised

to finish each product - like a refrigerator, washing machine, or TV - within

10-15 seconds, work non-stop for four to five hours at a stretch, and do their

jobs in unsafe conditions.

Earlier, TN police had detained

around 104 workers for undertaking a protest march without permission. The

protesters were released later that day.

Samsung India said in a statement

that the firm categorically denies all the allegations and that it maintains

absolute compliance with all the existing labour laws.

Tamil Nadu accounts for about 33

percent of India’s electronics exports. In April 2023, the state passed

an amendment to the Factories Act, 1948, increasing daily work hours from eight

to twelve, under pressure from multinational corporations. However, the

implementation of this Act has been put on hold due to union protests.

Hindusthan Samachar / Nimish kumar