Samsung strike: DMK-CPM dial down heat as TN govt initiates talks with CITU, management

CHENNAI: Dialling down the tempers after the war of words over the ongoing strike by Samsung Electronics workers threated to create fissures within the alliance, the CPM-affiliated CITU and the State government held negotiations on Monday to find a solution to end the protest that has been going on for more than a month.

The ministerial delegation, which now has senior DMK leader and Minister EV Velu – a member of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s inner circle – also held separate negotiations with the Samsung management as well in its effort to create a breakthrough.

There was no breakthrough, but it was not fully lost either. After emerging from the meeting that lasted nearly three hours, CITU Tamil Nadu president A Soundararajan said the talks would continue on Tuesday. “The strike would continue until we achieve our demands. The talks ended today without reaching an agreement and it will continue tomorrow,” he told reporters at the secretariat.

This was the second such meeting that the trade union held with the ministerial team, which earlier included MSME Minister TM Anbarasan, Labour Minister CV Ganesan, and Industries Minister TRB Rajaa. Last meeting on October 7 had only made matters worse, as the State government brokered a deal between Samsung management and a section of its workers, who signed a memorandum of agreement.

This did not go down well with the CITU, with the union leaders issuing more stringent statements that made the State government squirm. In response, the DMK sympathisers – and IT wing – started targeting CITU on social media.

After the October 7 talks, the government launched a crackdown through the police and key union leaders were taken into preventive custody in the early hours of October 9 and removed the protesting pandal at Sriperumbudur. With the talks failed, the CITU and the DMK are engaged in a war of words blaming each other for the continuing workers' struggle.

This time, senior leader-Minister Velu joining the negotiations has given a glimmer a hope, as he has Stalin’s confidence.

The CITU-affiliated workers have formed a Samsung India Workers’ Union and have been on strike since September 9 seeking recognition for the union, wage revision and improvements in working conditions. However, the Samsung management refused to negotiate with the trade union with leaders from outside the company.