CHENNAI: For the first time after protests erupted again at the Samsung India unit near Sriperumbudur over the suspension of three workers, family members of the staff joined them in a protest held at the Bazaar Area of Sunguvarchatram on Monday morning.
The suspended workers are office-bearers of Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU), which is affiliated to CITU. A conciliation meeting between the management and the workers, facilitated by the Tamil Nadu labour department, has been scheduled for Wednesday (February 19).
A sit-in protest taken out by another section of workers has been going on since February 5 on the premises of the manufacturing plant.
The CITU has planned a protest on Tuesday involving Samsung workers in Sriperumbudur. Members of the CITU said that if the conciliation talks fail on Wednesday, protests will be organised outside Samsung showrooms across the state on February 21.
‘Samsung using contract staff for production’
The protests outside Samsung showrooms across the state will be followed by an agitation outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Labour, who is also the conciliation officer, at Irungattukottai in Kancheepuram, said CITU members.
The workers that TNIE spoke to said that over 500 workers – who are part of the sit-in protest — have not left the premises for nearly two weeks. A worker said, “These workers have been allocated a spot for the strike and are forced to use only three toilets designated for them. If a worker decides to leave for medical reasons or to meet their families, their access cards are blocked and they are not allowed entry again.”
Calling the strike “illegal”, sources in Samsung said the protesters have been provided with access to toilets and food although they had not been working since February 5. Denying claims that the three workers were suspended without any valid reason, the sources said around 300 workers had allegedly attempted to forcefully enter the management offices on the second floor, prompting the action.
With a section of the workforce not on duty, CITU Kancheepuram secretary E Muthukumar said contract workers are being recruited by Samsung and are “unlawfully involved directly in the production line”. CITU sources said that around 200 such contract staffers have been recruited by Samsung.
A worker told TNIE, “Contract staff are generally engaged as helpers in the assembly line and are not directly involved in the production line.” Samsung sources, however, said they were maintaining production primarily by engaging their permanent staff on a rotational basis.
“While we do have outside help, which is not illegal, the numbers are very few,” a source said. A senior official from the labour department told TNIE that conciliation talks have been ongoing and at least three rounds of talks have been held since January 31. “We are providing both parties with alternative options that will help resolve the issue amicably,” the official said.
Samsung, in a statement, said, “A section of our workers is engaged in illegal strike within the Chennai factory premises, while most of our dedicated workers continue to ensure that production remains uninterrupted. We have filed official complaints with the relevant authorities against certain employees who have violated the company policy. At Samsung, we are compliant with all applicable laws.”
The sit-in protest is the second large-scale organised protest by the workers after their 37-day strike that commenced on September 9 seeking improved wages, working hours, and the registration and subsequent recognition of the SIWU. The protests were called off after the intervention of the state government.