Talks fail to end sit-in strike at Samsung factory

CHENNAI: The conciliation talks between the CITU-backed Samsung India Workers' Union (SWIU) and the company management chaired by the assistant labour commissioner ended inconclusively on Wednesday.

CITU State president A Soundararajan, who attended the meeting along with Kancheepuram district secretary of the trade union and SWIU president E Muthukumar, said they offered to end the sit-in strike if the company agreed to three conditions, including revocation of the suspension of three employees.

"We demanded that Samsung revoke the suspension of three workers. The management should follow procedures and they should give charge sheet or memo to workers before taking any action," he said, adding that they also sought the company not to victimise the workers who gathered to meet the managing director on January 31.

"The worker's committee backed by the management has been given an office inside the factory, which is unfair. It should not be done," he said.

The CITU leader said that if the management agrees to the three demands, the union would withdraw the sit-in strike immediately. However, he said that the management did not agreed.

Members of the SWIU resorted to a sit-in strike on February 5 protesting the suspension of the three office-bearers of the union and the workers' committee backed by the management allegedly forcing the members of the union to give up membership.

Samsung sources said that the workers were suspended after a large number of workers gathered in the office lobby and behaved in an unruly manner.

Samsung's spokesperson had said that it does not condone any unlawful actions by employees that disrupt the industrial peace at the workplace. "The company has filed official complaints with the relevant authorities against certain workers who violated this policy. They will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action following a formal inquiry and have been suspended to protect the work environment and other workers. This legitimate measure was taken in accordance with all applicable Indian laws."