Samsung workers protest against suspension of three union leaders in Chennai

A large number of Samsung workers staged a protest at the company’s manufacturing unit in Chennai against the suspension of three staff allegedly without any basis. 

The three workers were office-bearers of the CITU-backed Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU).

Responding to the protests, E Muthukumar, Kancheepuram CITU secretary and president of SIWU, said that the workers were suspended without valid reasons, adding that the move was taken as part of the management’s efforts to dismantle the SIWU.

“When we called off the protest (in October last year), it was based on the assurance that no retaliatory action would be taken against the workers. If they had grievances, they could have brought it to us during the ongoing conciliatory discussions,” Muthukumar said. 

Samsung, on the other hand, said that workers were suspended on charges of disrupting operations at the plant.

Samsung said it is setting up a disciplinary committee to investigate the matter before further decisions, as per reports. 

“Our global code of conduct stipulates that the company has a zero tolerance policy for any type of behaviour that goes against maintaining a professional and respectful workplace environment. The employees in question violated the company policy and have been suspended temporarily and will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action following a formal enquiry,” a Samsung India spokesperson told The New Indian Express. 

“The company is continuing to make efforts towards a collective agreement with our workers and has not forced any employee to join the worker committee or leave the union,” the spokesperson added.

A CITU member said that workers plan to continue the protest until the disciplinary action against them is dropped. “Now that we are a registered union, we are confident that the workers will not give in to Samsung’s demand,” the member added.

Earlier last month, the TN labor department registered the SIWU under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, making it the country’s first Samsung workers’ union.

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