CHENNAI: The 11th round of the conciliation talks held between the CITU-backed Samsung India Workers’ Union and Samsung management on Thursday failed to end the 30-day-long protest. CITU has announced that the workers would hold a sit-in front of the company on Friday, seeking jobs, to build pressure on the management to take them back.
CITU Kancheepuram district secretary and SIWU president E Muthukumar said that the talks ended without any settlement as the management remained adamant in its position. The workers’ protest started on February 5 following the suspension of three union office bearers of the union.
In the last round of talks held on Tuesday, Samsung management insisted that all the protesting workers would be allowed to join duty only if they submitted an apology letter stating that they were responsible for the disruption of production. The company also wanted the protesting workers to pay eight days of wages as a penalty for participating in the strike. CITU has opposed both conditions, stating that no individual worker would issue an apology, as all the decisions and responses would be made collectively.
Muthukumar said that management is adamant about its stand, forcing the workers sit-in at the company gate seeking to allow them to resume work.
The Samsung management rejected the allegations. “Despite our best efforts to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement through constructive dialogue, the union continues to make unreasonable demands and is changing its position constantly, leading to an impasse in the negotiations. We uphold a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal acts within the workplace and are committed to maintaining a safe and productive environment for all,” said a Samsung India spokesperson.”
In solidarity with the protesting Samsung workers, the CITU has already issued strike notices in 42 industries in Kancheepuram district to hold a token strike on March 13.
CPM state secretary P Shanmugam sought the intervention of the state government to end the Samsung worker’s month-long strike while condemning the management’s anti-worker actions.