Legal documents revealed that Samsung Electronics’ Indian division has filed a lawsuit against members of a labour union that has spearheaded an 11-day strike at the company’s sole home appliance plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, intensifying hostilities with its workforce.
For the past 11 days, about 1,500 employees at the Samsung Electronics plant in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, have gone on strike in protest of their pay, the recognition of their recently organised labour union, and better working conditions.
Newsng gathered that as one of the biggest strikes the South Korean IT giant has seen in recent memory, the protest has severely disrupted production.
The employees, who are mostly represented by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), congregated every day close to the plant, which employs close to 2,000 people and generates a substantial portion of Samsung’s $12 billion in earnings from sales of home appliances in India.
The Samsung India Labour Welfare Union (SILWU) must be recognised for them to bargain with management for fair pay and suitable working hours, according to their requests.
In a complaint filed on September 12, which Reuters was the first to disclose, Samsung requests a temporary order from the state’s district court to stop the union and its members from protesting, holding signs, and giving speeches in and around the factory, which is close to Chennai.
Attorneys gathered in the Kancheepuram district of a court near Chennai, where the case was scheduled to be heard on Thursday.
C.V. Ganesan, the Labour Welfare Minister for Tamil Nadu, declared, “We will fulfil the demands of the workers,” in reaction to the ongoing unrest.
Samsung India, meanwhile, insists that its workers’ well-being comes first. “We actively engage with our workers to address any grievances and comply with all laws and regulations,” a representative said.
We earlier reported that Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to slash up to 30% of its workers outside of its home market of South Korea, with the cuts due to take effect by the end of the year.
