Labour deadlock continues in Samsung’s Chennai plant, vendor unit

CHENNAI: Labour unrest in Samsung Electronics manufacturing facility marked by prolonged protests intensified on Monday, as the trade union decided to step up the protests on Thursday (Feb 20) if the next round of talks slated on Wednesday fails to resolve the issue.

The Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Kancheepuram district unit has announced a slew of protests, including an attempt to march and lock district labour office for failure to enforce factory and labour laws, and solidarity shutdown by small traders in the district, according to union representatives.

A section of Samsung’s consumer durable factory employees affiliated with CITU has been protesting since Feb 5 calling for revocation of the suspension of three union functionaries and stopping alleged retaliatory actions for unionisation. E Muthukumar, president of the employees union, said the company was working with contract workers, in violation of the Factories Act and urged the govt to take action.

Samsung earlier said it is compliant with all laws and that its production remains unaffected. The company is working with temporary workers and internal workers from other assembly units, based on the requirements, people in the know said.

“A section of our workers is engaged in an illegal strike within the Chennai factory premises, while most of our dedicated workers continue to ensure that production remains uninterrupted,” a company spokesperson said in statement.

Meanwhile, trade unions and former employees of SH Electronics, a vendor for Samsung, have intensified the protests, ongoing since June last year, allegedly for dismissing 90-odd workers. B Mathana Gopal, a dismissed employee and treasurer of workers union, alleged that workers were suspended without formal notice for forming union. “Workers formed a union due to poor working conditions in the facility, including frequent accidents, poor sanitation, hygiene and others. The management does not engage with workers on the basic issues and for wage revision,” he said.

SH Electronics did not respond to multiple queries from TOI. Official sources at the directorate of industrial safety and health said after a complaint, an inspection had been conducted at the SH electronics facility and the prosecution is pending in courts.

Conciliation talks held by the state labour department for both companies have not yielded desired results so far. A senior labour department official, on condition of anonymity, said claims of department inaction were untrue. The official said they were monitoring the talks, adding that direct govt intervention was unwarranted at the moment.


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