Samsung Electronics workers call off strike, says TN government

CHENNAI: The relentless efforts taken by the Tamil Nadu government has finally borne fruit after the protesting workers of Samsung Electronics plant outside Chennai withdrew their protest on Tuesday.

The breakthrough came after senior DMK leader and Minister EV Velu joined the ministerial team to negotiate with CPM-affiliated CITU and the Samsung management to find a way to address the issue.

As per the terms negotiated by the four-member team of ministers, the employees who have been on strike since September 9 would rejoin duty immediately.

The management should not victimise the workers only for having participated in the strike.

After returning to work, the workers should fully cooperate with the management and do not do any acts prejudicial to the interest of the management.

The management will submit a written response to the charter of demands filed by the workers before the conciliation officer.

According to the statement issued by the Tamil Nadu Labour Department, both management and the striking workers have accepted this advice. “The workers informed that they would call off the strike immediately and return to work,” said the statement that was circulated to the media on Tuesday.

With this, the “strike at the Samsung factory has come to an end and all the workers are resuming work”, it added.

Talks were successful and they have accepted our demands. But as it should be formally declared only after a general body meeting of the Samsung India Workers’ Union on Wednesday morning, we will make a good announcement after that. In case the strike is called off, the employees will rejoin work on the day after,” A Soundarajan, president, CITU’s Tamil Nadu unit, told the media after emerging from the negotiation at the secretariat on Tuesday evening.