Chennai: The Tamil Nadu State government led by the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is in quandary as its own alliance partners—the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), CPI, and CPI(M)—have extended their support to the month-long strike by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-affiliated Samsung Electronics workers at Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram district.
This is likely to create tensions between the DMK and its INDIA bloc alliance partners, coming just a week after the VCK set aside controversy over its demand for a share in power.
The Kancheepuram district police Wednesday arrested the protesting workers led by the CITU president and CPI(M) leader A. Soundararajan at the protest site about 1 km away from the Samsung plant at Sriperumbudur. The workers are demanding official recognition of the Samsung Workers Union, affiliated with CITU, but the company has so far resisted, raising objections to the union’s registration.
After meeting the protesting employees who were detained at a private marriage hall in Kancheepuram, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan Wednesday said that it was the workers’ right to form a union and that he would meet the chief minister in this regard to resolve the issue.
“It is condemnable to register a case against the workers who are protesting peacefully. The chief minister should immediately intervene in the Samsung workers issue and resolve it,” he said to the media.
CPI(M) State Committee Secretary K. Balakrishnan, CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan and former Union minister and former president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee K.V. Thangabalu met the protesting workers, too. All the leaders have condemned the state government for filing cases and arresting the protesting workers.
Congress State President K. Selvaperunthagai appealed to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to resolve the issue amicably.
“I believe that INDIA bloc leaders would understand the uncertain situation and would arrive at an amicable solution after a tri-party negotiation. I believe the DMK-led government, which is a pro-workers government, would solve the issue as soon as possible. As an MLA of the constituency, I will also be involved in talks with the protesting workers,” Selvaperunthagai said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu has said that the demand of the CITU to recognise the union is sub-judice since the CITU has approached the Madras High Court to recognise it.
“The state government was willing to register, but the Samsung company has raised an objection and we sought response for the same from the union. The union gave its response and that was given to the Samsung company. They still did not accept the response. In the meantime, CITU approached the high court. So, now the matter is before the court, it is sub-judice,” Thangam Thennarasu said.
He added that his alliance party leaders and the protesting Samsung workers should understand that the matter was sub-judice and return to work as the Tamil Nadu government always stands by the workers of the state.
Tamil Nadu’s Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin also reacted to the issue and said that the state government was able to broker an agreement between Samsung company and section of protesting workers on issues pertaining to wages and working conditions.
“But, since it is an international company, they have their own restrictions about union,” he said.
Meanwhile, Samsung India officials told ThePrint that the company was willing to negotiate over the wages and other demands with the striking workers, but not with the CITU-affiliated union.
“We have a structure internally and there is a workers’ council. However, the protesting employees wanted to bring CITU to the company. We are not willing to recognise that,” an official told ThePrint. When asked if the company was willing to accept the unionisation of its workers, the official did not respond.
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Fissures in the DMK alliance
The recent fissures in the DMK alliance began after Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa said that the Samsung’s management has agreed to key demands raised by their employees, including significant wage hike and additional benefits.
He also posted on X on 7 October that the employees he spoke to expressed their appreciation for the management’s willingness to listen to their concern. The state government had also shared the agreement signed between a section of workers and the company.
However, the CITU affiliated workers of Samsung company, who have been protesting for 31 days said that there was not any significant resolution during the talks with them and accused the DMK-led state government of holding talks with a section of workers who never participated in the protest and who were always in favour of the company.
“If the employees had arrived at a solution, they should have returned to work. But you can go and check the Samsung company if anybody has gone to work. All the striking workers are here at the site,” CITU State President A. Soundararajan said from the protest site on 8 October.
Meanwhile, police resorted to screening and stopping the Samsung workers from going to the factory in Kancheepuram. The police reportedly took photos and checked the identification cards of the workers travelling in town buses. Things became murkier after DMK allies decided to back the protesting workers and meet them on the intervening night of 8 and 9 October.
To curb the protest, Kancheepuram Police resorted to midnight preventive arrest to stop the workers from assembling at the site. As many as 11 people were detained in the early hours of 9 October. However, all of them were released on conditional bail by the Judicial Magistrate.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Police dismantled the temporary sheds at the protest site to prevent workers from gathering and to discourage leaders of alliance parties from meeting the protesters. Despite heavy restrictions, hundreds of workers assembled at the site, but were swiftly arrested by the police and detained at private marriage halls in Kancheepuram.
Soundararajan cautioned the DMK government, stating that arresting workers protesting for their rightful demands was not in the government’s best interest. When asked whether the situation could cause friction within the alliance, he clarified that this was not a political matter but a labourers’ issue.
Soon after, CITU approached the Madras High Court against the police action, which ruled that the workers can continue their peaceful protests and there is no ban on the same.
Hours after the court ruling, the alliance party leaders met the protesting workers and extended their support. After the meeting, Thirumavalavan said that they would meet the CM as leaders of the “comradeship party” and appeal to the CM to intervene.
“We are not against Samsung, but against their oppression. We are not against the investments from the foreign companies, but against their exploitation,” Thirumavalavan said.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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