After 37 days of strike the employees of Samsung India will return to work on Thursday, October 17. Though the workers and the CITU have agreed to get back to work, after the state government brokered peace, they have not withdrawn any of their demands including recognition of the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU).
“It was unanimously decided at our meeting that the workers will get back to work from October 17. But we have not compromised on our demands. During the talks, we insisted that Samsung India should respond to our demands in writing to the concerned authorities. We decided to call off the strike since this demand was fulfilled. We will stand by our workers,” said CPI(M) and CITU leader A Soundararajan, during a press conference at Kanchipuram after a meeting with the workers council.
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At least 1000 out of the 1800 workers at the South Korean electronics major Samsung India plant at Sriperumbudur began their protest on September 9th demanding higher wages, an eight-hour work day, better working conditions. The main demand was recognition of their recently formed labour union —SIWU. Though the protest began on September 9th, the state government did not get involved in it. After twenty days, when the Chief Minister returned from the US, the government chose to go for parleys with the employees. Neither was the Samsung management willing to engage with the workers.
The Tamil Nadu government, led by a team of ministers including industries minister TRB Raaja, held talks with the workers and the management. The major demand of the workers was recognition of their union and response from the management in writing to their demands.
Earlier, the government held talks with the workers and said that the workers will return to work. Samsung India said that it had signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with employees in the presence of the ministers. But CITU disagreed with it and continued with the protest. After this, the state government deputed senior minister EV Velu, who brokered peace during a meeting in Tuesday. The CITU apparently, has not withdrawn any of its demands, particularly the demand to recognise SIWU. “We will go by the order of the Madras High Court, which is seized of the matter,” said Soundararajan.
However the Samsung workers' protest and the inconclusive talks, during the past one month had put the DMK the government in a spot. While the electronics major was threatening to shift place from Chennai, if the tiff with the workers is not resolved, the CITU, affiliated to the CPI(M), had put the DMK alliance in trouble. The other allies of the DMK including VCK and the Congress also stood by the workers.