Trouble at Samsung's Sriperumbudur again, employees announce "breakfast skipping" protest on December 19

CHENNAI: The trouble at Samsung's manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu is coming to a head yet again after the employees announced a breakfast skipping protest on Wednesday against the management’s allegedly retaliatory actions against them for going on strike in September.

CITU affiliated Samsung India Workers' Union president E Muthukumar on Tuesday said that on Monday night around 8 pm, a worker named Sudhakar who was continuously pressured to join the management backed workers committee and threatened to be transferred different work place in the plant attempted suicide by taking large amount of pills as he could not bear their harassment.

Muthukumar said that he has stated that threats and retaliation from the management are the reason for his action. Sudhakar was admitted to the hospital but the management did not allow the union office bearers who were on duty to help the affected worker and to meet him.

“The management is continuously taking various retaliatory measures against the workers who went to work in the hope that a peaceful environment would prevail at the Samsung India factory after the agreement to end the strike. More than 35 union affiliated workers, including leading office bearers, are being transferred and falsely accused and chargesheeted. The workers are being subjected to hours of psychological distress by being counseled by the management to join the management-backed workers' Committee,” he said.

Pointing out that Wednesday’s breakfast skipping protest as a token protest, he said that if the management did respond to its demands and to stop the harassment of workers at the tripartite meeting to be held at Labour Commissioner office here on Tuesday evening, they have decided to take forward the protest including stike. He noted that despite the Madras High Court direction to act on the union registration in six weeks, the government has not taken any steps in this regard.

The employees went on an indefinite strike since September 9, pressing for a range of demands, including revised pay structure, improved working conditions, and the official registration of the Samsung India Workers' Union affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), with the state labour department.