After months of uncertainty, the Tamil Nadu labour department has officially registered the Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) on Monday, January 27. This milestone comes after a protracted strike by workers at Samsung’s Sriperumbudur plant, which began on September 9, 2024. The workers, supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), had been demanding the union’s recognition and registration, along with improved working conditions and better wages.
The SIWU’s registration marks the end of a contentious chapter that saw workers taking their grievances to the Madras High Court. The court intervened after the labour department failed to register the union within the legally mandated 45-day period. The delay and lack of response had intensified the workers’ strike, which involved a list of 20 demands ranging from fair wages to workplace improvements.
The registration was a key demand of the striking workers, who viewed it as essential to gaining a collective voice in negotiations with the company.
In October, a month into the strike, Samsung management signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with select employees. However, CITU and the striking workers rejected this agreement, alleging that it was orchestrated by the company and excluded the actual protesters.
“About 200 of the 1,800 workers at the facility who did not participate in the strike were selected and taken to the secretariat. They were made to sit in front of three ministers as the management dictated the terms of the MoU. It does not address the demands of the striking workers,” a CITU representative stated.
Samsung India argued that the union’s use of the company’s name infringed on the corporation’s rights. “Samsung is an international company. While workers have the right to form a union, they do not have the fundamental right to use Samsung’s name. The strike caused us a loss of $100 million,” said the company’s counsel during the court proceedings.
The strike was also met with resistance from the authorities. Despite a Madras High Court ruling allowing the protests to continue, a heavy police presence at the plant discouraged workers from staging demonstrations.
On December 5, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to decide on the union’s registration within six weeks. The labour department’s approval on January 27 is seen as a victory for the workers, who faced significant hurdles in their quest for recognition.
