CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu labour department authorities to take a decision on the application submitted by Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam, which has been on an indefinite strike, regarding the registration of the union within two weeks.
Justice R N Manjula issued the direction on Monday when a petition filed by P Ellan, general secretary of the union, seeking direction to register it, came up for hearing.
The petitioner stated that the union, which was formed in June this year, had submitted an application to the Registrar of Trade Unions (Joint Commissioner of Labour, Chennai) for registering the union. The JCL had sought the opinion of the Deputy Commissioner of Labour (DCL-Conciliation) of Kancheepuram.
Ellan alleged that the authorities concerned are refusing to register the union saying that the Samsung India Private Limited has objected to the use of the company’s name by the union as it is a trade mark name. But the objection is not sustainable as the union is using the name only for the sake of trade union purposes and not for any trade related matter, the petitioner said.
He further stated that the formation of trade union is a fundamental right as per the Constitution and under the Trade Union Act.
CITU to stage road roko in Kancheepuram today
The petitioner stated that the delay by the respondents to register the union, even after the expiration of the 45-day mandatory period, is illegal and arbitrary. He sought the court to issue a direction to the authorities to register the trade union immediately.
Additional Advocate General J Ravindran appeared for the labour department, while N G R Prasad, assisted by S Sivakumar, represented the union. Over a 1,000 Samsung workers have been protesting in Sriperumbudur demanding the recognition of the CITU-backed union, better wages, and reduction of working hours.
While Samsung has maintained it would form a workers committee to address grievances and not engage with the union, a round of talks between the two was facilitated last week. The talks were unsuccessful with the CITU saying it would hold a roko in Kancheepuram on Tuesday.