No work, no pay: Samsung warns workers on strike in Chennai

The strike, which began on September 9, 2024, involves hundreds of workers at Samsung's home appliances factory near Chennai.

In Short

• Samsung warns protesting workers of 'No work, no pay'
• Workers continue strike despite warnings of termination
• Demands are being supported by labour group CITU

Samsung Electronics has issued a warning to workers protesting at its Chennai factory, stating that they will not receive wages without work, and may even face termination, reported news agency Reuters.

The strike, which began on September 9, 2024, involves hundreds of workers at Samsung's home appliances factory near Chennai.

The workers are demanding higher wages and official recognition of their union. The plant is a key production unit for Samsung, contributing about one-third of the company’s annual revenue in India, which stands at $12 billion.

Workers have set up a makeshift tent near the factory, where they continue their protests.

The main demands include an increase in wages and formal recognition of their union, which is supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

The union is pushing for a pay raise that would see average monthly wages rise from Rs 25,000 to Rs 36,000 over the next three years.

Samsung has responded to the strike by taking legal action. Last week, the company approached a district court seeking a temporary injunction against the union to prevent them from holding protests near the factory.

However, the court did not issue a direct order against the protests and instead called for a swift resolution of the dispute.

In an email sent to some of the striking workers on Friday, Samsung’s Human Resources (HR) team labelled the protest as an “illegal strike.”

The email mentioned that employees participating in the strike would not be entitled to wages from 9th September 2024 until they return to work. The message was clear: 'No work, no pay.'

The email further warned that if the workers failed to report back to work within four days, they would need to justify why they should not be dismissed from their jobs.

Samsung also highlighted that it was open to discussions to resolve the issues, urging workers to return to the negotiating table.

Three workers confirmed to Reuters that they had received the warning email from Samsung’s HR team. Despite the warnings, the workers have continued their protest, and there has been no immediate sign of the strike ending.

Samsung has declined to comment further on the situation. Last week, the company told Reuters that it had initiated discussions with the workers at the plant and aimed to resolve the issues as quickly as possible. However, the ongoing negotiations between the company, the workers, and state officials have yet to yield any concrete solution.

The workers' demands are being supported by labour group CITU. The union has been instrumental in mobilising the factory workers and driving the push for higher wages. CITU has also been pressing for Samsung to formally recognise the union, a step that the company has resisted.

Samsung has so far been reluctant to acknowledge any union backed by a national labour organisation like CITU.