Report from a correspondent of Mazdoor Ekta Committee
Workers of Samsung Electronics factory at Sunguvarchatram, near Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, started an indefinite strike on 9 September, 2024. They are demanding recognition of their union, wage revisions and better working conditions. There are about 1,800 workers working in this factory. The factory makes appliances like refrigerators, TVs and washing machines. Workers at this plant are said to be contributing about a third of Samsung’s annual India revenue of $12 billion. Samsung, a South Korean multinational, also has a plant in Uttar Pradesh that makes smartphones.
The workers in the factory did not have any registered trade union for the last 16 years. Faced with unbearable conditions of work and savage exploitation, the workers of the Tamil Nadu unit organised themselves into a union two months ago. They have applied for the registration of their union, but under pressure from the Samsung management, the labour department authorities have not registered the union for the last 2 months. Samsung management is refusing to recognize the union and putting pressure on workers to leave the union. The management has rejected all the demands of the workers for better wages and working conditions.
Under these circumstances, the workers started an indefinite strike from 9 September for the recognition of their union and other demands. The workers have put up a tent near the factory where they are carrying on their protest.
Trade Unions and workers organisations from all over Tamil Nadu have expressed their support for the just demands of the Samsung workers. On 16 September, the striking workers decided to organise a rally to the District Collector’s office at Kanchipuram. In violation of all democratic and Trade Union rights, including the right to assemble peacefully and highlight their demands, the police arrested the workers in large numbers and prevented the workers from carrying out the protest action.
To protest against this blatant violation of democratic rights of workers, and to express their support to the workers of Samsung, representatives of various trade unions of Tamil Nadu met in Chennai. They decided to hold a joint demonstration on 18 September in Chennai, to denounce the attacks by the Samsung management on the workers as well as the anti-worker stand of the Tamil Nadu Government.
When workers working in various companies and belonging to different trade unions gathered at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai on 18 September to participate in the joint demonstration, they were arrested. Police did not allow them to hold any demonstration.
The savage attack by the Tamil Nadu government on the protesting workers once again shows that the Indian state is an instrument of rule of the bourgeoisie over the working class and toiling masses. No matter which party is in charge of running the government, the state machinery works in the interests of the capitalist class, not the workers.
The workers of Samsung must not be daunted by these attacks. With renewed determination, they must step up the struggle for their demands.