CITU questions DMK-linked union’s silence over police action against Samsung protestors

CHENNAI: Refuting the charges made by DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) that the Samsung workers' strike was blown out of proportion by Left-linked Unions, CITU on Monday questioned the LDF’s stoic silence over the police repression of the protesting workers and the government’s support to undermine the majority workers' wish.

In a statement, CITU Kancheepuram district secretary and Samsung India Workers' Union president E Muthukumar blamed the State government, the ministerial delegation and Samsung management for pushing the workers' protest to a boiling point.

"A ministerial delegation set up in good faith to resolve the protest spoke to the union leadership and said that they would give the proper solution after discussing with the Chief Minister the next day. Then within an hour they signed an agreement with a minority group and pushed the protest group to a boiling point. So, it was the DMK government, the committee of ministers they formed and their treacherous deals that made the agitation worse, not the CITU," he said.

Muthukumarm who has been leading the Samsung workers' strike since September 9 said that LPF should understand that the continuance of the Samsung workers' strike is due to the government and the management's apathy contrary to the sentiments of most workers. He wondered how LPF which fights for the workers justified the actions of the State government and the Samsung management signing an agreement with minority workers denying workers the right to form trade unions.

Responding to the LPF's charge that the experienced CITU leadership should guide the young workers against the protest, he said that anyone who observes neutrally could know that this struggle under the guidance of the CITU continuing in a disciplined manner has gained the support of former judges and intellectuals.

"Union activities can never be wrecked by government repression and smears spread by a management (Samsung). Only time will tell what is right and what is wrong," he said. He referred to the ongoing struggle of the Samsung working class as an effort to protect the rights of the Indian trade unions. “Multinational corporations want to keep them (workers) in deadly prisons,” he added.