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The
employees strike in the plant near Chennai, the capital of the
southern state of Tamil Nadu, started on Sept. 9 with a key
demand for a 25-30% pay hike in the average monthly salary of
30,000-35,000 rupees ($425), said K.C. Gopi Kumar, the spokesman
for the Samsung India Electronics workers union.
“Our foremost demand is recognition of the union and its rights
by the management,” Kumar said.
A Samsung official said that management was prepared to discuss
the workers’ demands.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he
wasn't authorized to talk to reporters, said the company wanted
to negotiate directly with the employees’ representatives rather
than through the Center of Indian Trade Unions, or CITU.
The CITU is an Indian trade union aligned with a communist
party.
Samsung said that it paid 1.8 times more in India than the
average salary of similar workers employed at other regional
companies.
The workers’ union says that up to 70% of production has been
disrupted at the Sriperumbudur facility in southern India, which
produces televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.
However, the Samsung official said that after an initial
disruption of 50% production, the plant was running at near
average capacity with nonstriking workers, apprentices and newly
hired staff on the job.
The electronics company appealed to striking workers to resume
their jobs.
In a communication with the workers, Samsung assured them that
it wouldn't take action against those employees who wished to
resume work, but warned them of termination if they continued
with their protest, the Press Trust of India news agency
reported.
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