The strike by the workers at Samsung India’s Chennai plant was called off when the management announced welfare measures and also assured that there would be no retaliation or action against them.
The strike had begun more than a month ago and resulted in extensive discussions involving the Tamil Nadu government, which mediated between Samsung and the workers. State officials, including the departments of Industries, Labour, and MSMEs, held lengthy negotiations to facilitate a resolution.
In the first week of October, almost a month after protests, a portion of striking employees had decided to return to work, following some employees arriving at an agreement with Samsung India Electronics.
The strike, which began on 9 September, was supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). The workers’ demands included a wage hike, union recognition and a shift to an eight-hour workday. Amidst the workers’ protest, some had returned to their posts after the company issued a stern warning.
Samsung had reportedly invoked a ‘no work, no pay’ policy and had even threatened layoffs if the strike persisted. Over 1,000 workers had been demanding that the management address a list of 20 grievances. Samsung had sent a notice to employees emphasising that participation in what they referred to as an ‘illegal strike’ would result in withholding of pay for the duration of the protest.
