Samsung workers call off strike at Tamil Nadu plant, work likely to resume tomorrow

CHENNAI: The more than a month-long strike by Samsung India Employees' Union (SIEU) has ended and hundreds of workers are expected to return to work on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu govt on Tuesday said all issues have been resolved amicably and both parties have signed an agreement. E Muthukumar, president of the workers union, told TOI that talks were satisfactory and a meeting of workers on Wednesday would take the final decision. The union is likely to call off the strike, subject to workers' acceptance, which is a formality.


Govt said various demands of the striking workers have been accepted by the company. Fourteen demands had been accepted by the company at the end of conciliatory talks earlier on Oct 7. Chief minister M K Stalin in a post on X thanked CITU union representatives, workers and the Samsung management for resolving the matter.

Samsung saga: 14 demands of striking workers finally met

Samsung India Employees’ Union has ended its over-a-month-long strike and hundreds of workers are expected to return to work on Thursday.

Reiterating his support for the workers, he urged both parties to work towards a new beginning and a better future. He said the DMK govt always stands for workers’ rights and welfare. It will never deviate from this principle, he added.
The resolution follows conciliation talks senior ministers held with workers and company representatives at the secretariat on Tuesday.

A Samsung India spokesperson in a statement said the workers have decided to return to work unconditionally,. The statement did not touch upon the Oct 7 agreement signed by the company with workers.

“We will not take action against workers who merely participated in the illegal strike. We are committed to work closely with our workers to make the Chennai factory a great place to work,” the company said. It welcomed CITU’s decision to call off the “illegal strike”.

PWD minister E V Velu said the protesting workers agreed to end their strike on Wednesday and to return to work on Thursday. He said recognition of the CITU-backed union is sub judice and the state govt will abide by the court’s directions.

Hundreds of workers with the Samsung India Emp loyees Union have been on strike since Sept 9 demanding wage revision and better working conditions, hitting production.

The plant at Sunguvarchatram near Sriperumbudur makes consumer durables such as TV, fridges, washing machines. It contributes around 30% of Samsung’s annual $12 billion revenue in India. The strike became a problem for the govt as it tried to attract foreign investments and manufacturing jobs to the state.

(With inputs from Yazhinian)