CITU blocks roads across TN in solidarity with protesting Samsung workers
At Kancheepuram, over 900 members of CITU, including employees of Samsung Electronics, were on Tuesday arrested for blocking a main road.
Striking workers of CITU-affliated Samsung Workers’ Union sitting on a protest
CHENNAI: Members of the Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) led by its state president A Soundararajan on Tuesday staged a road roko at Broadway in Chennai condemning the state government for refusing registration of the Samsung India Workers' Union and in support of the striking workers of the factory.
The Samsung workers' strike entered its 23rd day on Tuesday with both the union and the management refusing to budge. While the unions seek recognition and wage hikes for the workers, the company refuses to negotiate with the ‘third party’. Soundararajan along with protesting workers were arrested by the police for protesting at Broadway.
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At Kancheepuram, over 900 members of CITU, including employees of Samsung Electronics, were on Tuesday arrested for blocking a main road. CITU Kancheepuram district secretary and SIEU president E Muthukumar said that his union has moved the Madras High Court against the delay in registering through the Samsung workers union following the objection raised by Samsung India. However, the state government argued in court seeking to implead Samsung India, he said.
"In the absence of any objection received within 45 days after submission of all proper documents required under the Registration Act for registration of a trade union, the Tamil Nadu government is acting as a voice to suspend the registration of the union over an objection petition filed by Samsung recently," he said.
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He added that in several companies including JK Tyres, Apollo Tyres, Yamaha, Asian Paints and Britannia Biscuit Industries, the labour department had registered the unions in the name of these companies. He noted that no provision in the Trade Union Registration Act barred registration of the trade unions in the names of the companies.
He also accused the state government of openly siding with the corporates when it comes to workers' issues.