Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government announced Tuesday that thousands of Samsung workers protesting at the company’s Sriperumbudur unit for over a month have decided to call off their strike and return to work.
The workers Tuesday took the call at the state secretariat, where senior DMK minister E.V. Velu has been leading a tripartite discussion with eight union representatives, including CITU General Secretary A. Soundararajan, ministers and the Samsung management. The talks that began Monday have seen TN Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa, Rural Industries Minister T.M. Anbarasan, and Labour Welfare Minister C.V. Ganesan in attendance.
An official statement from the Tamil Nadu government said that the Samsung management announced several welfare measures in the interests of the workers at the end of the talks. While the management said it would not penalise the protesting Samsung workers for the strike, the workers agreed to cooperate fully with the management. The management, according to the statement, is ready to file a written reply to the charter of demands filed by the Samsung workers before the conciliation officer.
The government statement, however, does not mention that the matter of registration of the Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) remains pending before the state’s labour department. It doesn’t have any word on the union’s registration in the future as well.
On 9 September this year, more than 1,000 workers of the multinational company’s manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur, nearly 50 km from Chennai, took to the streets. They demanded better working conditions and the recognition of their union, which they formed on 8 July, with the help of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
The workers applied to register the union on 25 July, but the state government has not processed the application yet. Under the law, it must process an application within 45 days. The delay prompted the protesting workforce to approach the Madras High Court, with the matter now pending before the HC.
While there had been multiple rounds of talks between the management, protesters, and the state government on the instructions of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the stalemate continued as all sides did not agree to recognise the union.
CITU sources told ThePrint Tuesday that the primary demand of the organisation was for Samsung to recognise the union. “Our primary demand was not the union’s registration but for the management to sit for a conversation with the union. They have done that now,” a CITU member said at the end of the talks.
The member said the organisation would take a final call on the future of their protest after discussing the matter Wednesday with the entire striking workforce.
ThePrint has learnt that Velu’s participation was crucial in breaking the stalemate since the government could assure the workers that the administration would register the union once the Madras HC decides on the case.
Talking about the development, General Secretary of the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and Rajya Sabha member M. Shanmugam told ThePrint that the state government has no issue registering the union. The delay, he said, has been caused by the union approaching the Madras High Court.
“Let the court decide. After that, we will give the registration number to their union. It is mandatory. They (the government) have to register the union,” Shanmugam said.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: Police detain protesting Samsung workers at its Sriperumbudur plant as strike enters 31st day