Workers at Samsung’s Sriperumbudur plant in Tamil Nadu have announced an indefinite protest until the company management revokes suspension of three Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) office-bearers. They said that the company had become increasingly hostile following the registration of SIWU on January 27.
SIWU president E Muthukumar told TNM that the union’s joint secretary was suspended on February 4, followed by two workers who are part of the union. The union commenced a sit-in protest from February 5.
“Samsung has been unhappy with the registration of the union and has been trying to threaten workers from leaving it. They are pressuring workers to join a work committee backed by the management, which has around 300 workers now. The suspensions came after we asked the management to set up a meeting with the South Korean managing director of Samsung,” he added.
Subsequent efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute have failed allegedly as Samsung has refused to revoke the suspensions. “The company has threatened to take action against 15 more office-bearers. The union’s next course of action will be decided on Monday, following a demonstration at Sunguvarchatram near the plant,” Muthukumar said.
According to The Hindu, Samsung, in an official statement, defended its stance, asserting that the protest was illegal and that most employees continued to work as usual. “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. We have filed official complaints with the relevant authorities against certain employees who have violated company policy. At Samsung, we are compliant with all applicable laws,” the statement read.
In September 2024, over 1,200 Samsung factory workers went on strike, demanding better wages, improved working conditions, and official recognition of SIWU. The strike was called off in October after Samsung agreed to several demands, including a commitment not to take punitive action against protesting workers. However, the latest suspensions have reignited tensions, with workers alleging that the company is backtracking on its promises.