Staff of key Samsung supplier gets Madras HC nod to protest suspension

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court allowed employees of Shin Heung Electronics India Pvt Ltd, a major accessories supplier to Samsung India Electronics, to hold a strike condemning the management’s action suspending 91 workers for involving in union activities.

Terming it unconstitutional, Justice P Velmurugan, however, restrained the workers from holding a hunger strike against the company, while disposing of a petition by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) seeking permission for the strike.

The government advocate submitted that the Kancheepuram police granted permission to hold the strike. Recording the submission, the judge disposed of the petition and cautioned the workers to protest without causing disturbance to the general public.

The petitioner Muthukumar, Kancheepuram district secretary of CITU submitted that several hundreds of employees work in Shin Heung India at Neravalur, in Kancheepuram and the firm is a major accessory manufacturer for Samsung India Electronics.

As the management did not address several grievances of the employees properly, some of the workers decided to form a union, said the petitioner. Thus, the workers formed a union affiliated with CITU to find democratic solutions for all the grievances, he said.

Aggrieved by the formation of a CITU-affiliated trade union, the company suspended 91 workers, said the petitioner.

Hence, CITU and the suspended workers decided to hold a one-day hunger strike condemning the suspension and demanding to recall the suspension order, he said, adding, however, the district police denied permission to hold the protest.