Samsung workers to return to duty after protest resolution

The 37-day strike by Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu has officially been called off, with the employees returning to work today, October 17. The strike was withdrawn after a general body meeting convened by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on Wednesday morning. The unrest began on September 9, when around 1,000 workers at the company’s Sriperumbudur plant walked out, demanding better wages and improved conditions.
The protests erupted after employees learned that their wages had not been revised in line with industry standards despite the company’s significant growth.
On the CITU’s behalf, there were two major demands made- Samsung should issue a written response to their charter of demands before the conciliatory officer, and no retaliatory action be taken against the workers who were a part of the strike from September 9.
The protests drew significant attention, garnering solidarity from labor unions and community organizations who stood with the workers in their fight for fair treatment. Demonstrations outside the plant highlighted the grievances, and the workers remained united in their demands.
In response to the unrest, management engaged in discussions with union leaders to address the issues at hand. After several rounds of negotiations, both parties reached a mutual understanding, leading to the announcement that the workers would return to their posts.
Union representatives confirmed that all participating workers would resume their duties, expressing optimism about the management’s commitment to addressing the grievances raised during the protest. “If we do not reach an understanding even after that, then we will fight it out in the court,” CITU state president A Sounderarajan said.
He also clarified that as per the Samsung India ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, the employees would not receive salary for the protest period.
Meanwhile, Samsung India expressed appreciation for CITU’s decision to end the strike, thanking the Tamil Nadu government for its support and looking forward to welcoming back their employees who have been on strike.
Now all the striking workers will immediately return to work and Samsung will not initiate any disciplinary action against the employees, with workers agreeing not to take any ‘pre-judicial’ action.
All striking workers will return to work immediately, and Samsung has assured that no disciplinary action will be taken against them. In return, workers have agreed to refrain from any “pre-judicial” actions.
While the strike has been withdrawn, a round of follow-up talks have been scheduled for November 7.