CHENNAI: Samsung India Electronics Private Limited on Tuesday said that it incurred a loss of $100 million because of the recent strike by the Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU), affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
The strike, which went on for 37 days, ended after tripartite talks involving senior state ministers, workers’ representatives and officials of the company.
Senior counsel G Rajagopalan, appearing for Samsung, said this in the Madras High Court, while seeking to implead the company in the case already filed by SIWU praying for orders to the Tamil Nadu labour department to register their union.
Justice R N Manjula, who heard the petition, allowed the company to implead in the case, saying that it was in the interest of justice and to give an opportunity to the company to raise its objections and the trade union to place its counter-objections.
Rajagopalan submitted that Samsung cannot allow any political interference in the affairs of the company as the workers’ union is affiliated to CITU, which is in turn affiliated to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
‘Workers have right to use firm’s name’
Rajagopalan also said the name ‘Samsung’ is a trade mark and cannot be used in the trade union’s name.
Advocate N G R Prasad, representing the union, objected to the petition, stating that the company need not be heard in the case because it only involves the union and the labour department.
Pointing out that the name of the company is used by the trade union in South Korea, the counsel, citing certain judgments, said that it is the right of the workers to establish the union in the name of the company in which they are working. Moreover, the union’s name must be registered by the labour department as per the Trade Union Act, Prasad said.
He said the union is simply using the company’s for the sake of union activities. It is not for business purposes, regulated by the Trade Mark Act, he added. The judge adjourned the case to November 11.