Tamil Nadu Police detains 609 employees of Samsung for organising street protest

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Police said that it has detained 600 workers of Samsung Electronics and trade union members for organising a street protest.

The demonstration was organised at the home appliances plant of Samsung Electronics as 1,000 workers of the plant in Sriperumbudur, Chennai were on a strike since September 9 demanding higher wages and recognition of the trade union at the factory of the global electronics major.

Police said that the workers of Samsung and the CITU trade union leaders were arrested and detained for causing inconvenience to the general public.

The workers, according to the Tamil Nadu Police officials were detained in four wedding halls.

It may be recalled that CITU, which is spearheading the strike at the Samsung plant has demanded a minimum salary of Rs 36,000 a month for the workers from the present Rs 25,000 a month which the electronics major is paying.

The stir at the Samsung plant is one of the biggest strikes in the country in recent times.

Samsung has already stated that the workers who are involved in the strike would risk losing their jobs.

The company had earlier said that the salary drawn by the employees of the plant at Sriperumbudur, was more than double drawn by workers in the region in other companies.

It may be recalled that Union Labour Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya had written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, urging him to bring about a “swift resolution” to the ongoing workers’ strike at Samsung Electronics’ plant at Sriperumbudur.

The Union Labour Minister also called upon the state government to intervene for an early and amicable resolution for maintaining a positive manufacturing sector ecosystem.

Sources in the Union Labour Ministry told IANS that he had assured full support from the ministry to help the state in resolving the matter efficiently.