TN govt intervenes to end Samsung deadlock; CM Stalin instructs ministers to hold talks
Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday instructed his ministers of industries, MSME and labour welfare departments to hold negotiations with the Samsung management and striking employees to resolve the industrial dispute.
Striking workers of CITU-affliated Samsung Workers’ Union sitting on a protest
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has intervened to end the deadlock between the Samsung management and its employees as the ongoing strike of the workers of the Korean electronics major entered the 24th day.
Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday instructed his ministers of industries, MSME and labour welfare departments to hold negotiations with the Samsung management and striking employees to resolve the industrial dispute.
Government sources with knowledge of the development said that following the Chief Minister's instruction, the ministerial delegation comprising MSME minister and local DMK district secretary T M Anbarasan, industries minister TRB Rajaa and state labour welfare minister C Ve Ganesan would hold talks with the striking employees and the management of Samsung on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government on Monday.
Left allies backing workers apprehended
The Chief Minister has intervened on the day leaders of the state CPM and CPI, both allies of the ruling DMK, were apprehended by the city police while protesting against the arrest of a few striking Samsung employees earlier and demanding the CM's intervention to register the Samsung India Labour Welfare Union. Hundreds of Samsung employees have been on strike here for over three weeks now demanding among other things better working conditions, better pay and more importantly recognition of the employee's trade union. Though the electronic major was said to be willing to negotiate on the issue of wage hike, the MNC has been stonewalling the workers' demand for registering the union, one of which is quite powerful and active in its home base Korea.
A Soundararajan, secretary of CPM affiliated CITU, which is at the forefront of the workers strike, earlier said that the they wrote to the labour department regarding the registration of the workers' union, but there has been no response for 90 days since the submission of their application though the law mandates that it should be done within 45 days.
A few days ago, union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya also asked Chief Minister Stalin to intervene in the workers' strike at the Sriperumbudur plant of Samsung Electronics for an early and amicable resolution for maintaining a positive manufacturing sector ecosystem.