Samsung Chennai plant protest: Police detain 104 workers striking for higher wages, better working hours

As many as 104 workers have been detained by the police for protesting against low wages at Samsung’s plant near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The workers were planning a march on Monday without permission, the police said. 

According to a report in Reuters, workers are demanding higher wages and have boycotted work for seven days, which finally escalated to detention on Monday. The strike at the Samsung plant disrupted production that contributes roughly a third of Samsung’s annual India revenue of $12 billion. 

Senior police officer of Kancheepuram district, K. Shanmugam, said that the workers were not given permission for the protest as there were schools, colleges and hospitals in the area. The police official said that the protest could have potentially paralysed the entire area and disturbed public peace. 

Shanmugam said that the workers were detained in wedding halls as the station did not have enough room for all of them. 

The Samsung plant workers have been protesting since last week at a makeshift tent near the plant for higher wages, recognition of the union by labour group Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and better working hours. However, Samsung is not keen to recognise any union backed by an outside labour group. 

The South Korean company said on Friday that it has initiated discussions with its workers at the Chennai plant and aims to resolve the issues at the earliest.