CHENNAI: Tension between Samsung India management and the CITU-backed Samsung India Workers Union may ratchet up as the fourth round of conciliatory talks between representatives of both sides over the suspension of three union office-bearers failed on Wednesday.
The next round of talks will be held on February 24.
Sources said that company representatives are not ready to withdraw the suspension of the three workers who are office-bearers of the labour union.
The CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) sources said that they learnt from Samsung representatives that 18 more workers may also be suspended soon.
After the first session of talks failed to end the deadlock, the state labour department facilitated another round of talks on Wednesday evening, which also failed.
While the CITU called the company’s action as ‘retaliatory’, targeting the workers who were at the forefront of the 37-day protest in September in an attempt to dismantle the union, Samsung sources said the workers were suspended after attempting to lead a group of 300 into the management offices on the second floor of the manufacturing unit.
“Samsung maintains that suspension of the three workers cannot be revoked and several more are to be suspended,” CITU Kancheepuram secretary E Muthukumar told TNIE.
Narrating the issue that led to the suspension of the three workers, Muthukumar said the workers, after considerable delay in resolving their grievances, met their supervisors during lunch hour without disrupting work and sought permission to meet senior members of the management team. But as they were denied permission, the workers returned to work, he said.
Muthukumar said that CITU will organise solidarity protests in SIPCOTs across the state on February 21 as the next step. The CITU has also planned protests outside Samsung showrooms.
In response, a Samsung India spokesperson said, “Samsung remains committed to resolving all issues by directly engaging with our workers. We do not condone illegal activities carried out by certain workers. It is important for all employees to adhere to company policies, and those who violate these policies will be subjected to disciplinary action after due legitimate process.”