Samsung Employees' Protest Enters Ninth Day In Chennai

The ongoing protest by Samsung employees has entered its ninth day, taking place at Sungavachatiram, near Sriperambathur, on the outskirts of Chennai's Kanchipuram District. Led by union leader E. Muthukumar, the workers are demanding better wages and improved working conditions. Hundreds of employees, clad in their company uniforms, are camped outside the plant.

Negotiations between the workers and the state labour department, including discussions with the labour minister, failed to produce results last week. On Monday, protestors were detained after they entered Kanchipuram but were released later the same day. Legal action has been initiated against more than 100 employees, with cases filed against them.

CITU Tamil Nadu State Secretary Muthukumar criticised the management for obstructing union recognition and ignoring their demands. "The management is blocking the formation of a Samsung India employees union and is pressuring us to join their designated forum. They are not allowing us to form a separate union and have even instructed us not to use the Samsung name," he said. Muthukumar also mentioned that employees were coerced into working up to 11 hours when the union decided to halt overtime. He called for government intervention to address the ongoing issues.

CITU Tamil Nadu Deputy General Secretary Kannan reported that 104 employees were arrested in Kanchipuram while trying to submit a memorandum of their demands to the collector. "We demand that the cases against the employees be dropped immediately," he stated. Kannan announced that all trade unions and employee federations will stage a joint protest at Valluvarkootam in Chennai later in the evening.