Samsung Strike Takes an Ugly Turn

Chennai: The month-long strike by workers of the Samsung India Electronics Private Limited factory at Sriperumbudur took an ugly turn on Wednesday with the police cracking down on the protest by dismantling the shed put up near the factory for the agitation and a slew of leaders from various political parties, including DMK’s electoral allies, rushing to express solidarity with the arrested workers.

While the protestors obtained a direction from a court to continue their strike without causing inconvenience to the public, unconfirmed rumours were afloat that the South Korean company had threatened to move its operations to some other State and that it was being invited by many States.

Trade bodies like FICCI and CII, too, expressed concern over the happenings in Samsung’s Sriperumbudur factory. FICCI Tamil Nadu State council urged all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue and urged employees to return to work and collaborate with the management to find a mutually beneficial solution.

The CII urged the stakeholders to work amicably towards an early solution so that the momentum of economic activity and the high image of Tamil Nadu were sustained.

State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, when asked about Samsung threatening to shift the company elsewhere, said Tamil Nadu provided the best industrial climate for investments and more companies wanted to set up units here.

Speaking to the media, he appealed to the protestors to return to work and said that the government also had a duty and responsibility to ensure the peace of mind of those running companies even as it was determined to protect the rights of the workers.

The Minister clarified that Samsung had acceded to all the demands raised by the striking workers other than the one regarding recognition to the union backed by CITU and urged the CITU to disassociate itself from the protest in the interest of the younger generation who had the potential of getting more jobs if an amicable industrial climate was created.

CITU general secretary A Soundararajan, who was arrested along with over 600 protesting workers and detained at a marriage hall in Sunguvarchatram, said that it was the workers’ constitutional right to form associations.

Leaders including Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK), R Mutharasan (CPI), K Balakrishnan (CPM) and P Abdul Samad (MMK) called on the arrested workers at the marriage hall even as several other leaders like AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, PMK founder S Ramadoss and PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss flayed the government for the crackdown on the protesting workers.

In a message on X, Palaniswami said he was shocked to hear about police arresting workers from their homes at midnight and said industrial disputes should be solved through talks and not through force.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, when asked about the Samsung strike when he was on his way to attend a government function, said that all, but one, of the workers’ demands had been acceded to the government. Since Samsung was an international company having certain standards, it was not in favour of allowing a union affiliated to a political party in the company, he said.