Samsung strike: Demand for recognition of majority trade unions remains top issue

As the strike by Samsung Electronics workers in Tamil Nadu entered its second month, labour leaders have underlined the demands that must be taken up at a tripartite discussion.

“The demand for registration and recognition of a majority trade union is the topmost issue, while other economic demands can be settled with ups and downs,” KC Gopikumar secretary of CITU, Tamil Nadu and spokesperson of Samsung India Electronics Union told Business Today.

Over 1,000 workers of Samsung India at the Sriperumbudur plant have been on strike since September 7. The workers have sought recognition of their newly-formed union Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) led by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). The workers have also prepared a charter of other demands including higher pay as well as other benefits. While the Samsung management had agreed to the demand for higher pay, it has not agreed to the issue of recognition of the workers’ Union. Workers also rejected a settlement offer from the company with a wage increase as it did not include the recognition of the Union.

Gopikumar however, underlined that forming a trade union is an essential right of the workers and also stressed that it can be led by outsider leaders. Outsiders can hold up to one third of the positions in a union under the Trade Unions Act, he stressed, and adding key roles in a company management are also held by so-called outsiders.

CITU, on October 10, also wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, urging him to intervene and uphold the workers’ right to unionise. “CITU urges the state government to restrain the Samsung India Management from its to continued pursuit of grossly unfair labour practice which is statutorily prohibited under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 besides being violative of above basic fundamental and Core Conventions of ILO,” said Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU in the letter.

It is also understood that the state government has not processed the request for registration of the trade union and workers have filed a case in the Madras High Court. The government is now awaiting the court’s order.

The strike is now being seen as a development that could impact India’s attractiveness as an investment decision. However, government sources have noted that till now, this is a one-off strike and should not be seen as a common occurrence across major factories.