CHENNAI: Over 500 Samsung India Electronics employees, along with their family members, were arrested on Sunday while attempting to lead a protest march from Sriperumbudur to the State Secretariat at Fort St George in the city. The workers were demanding the reinstatement of 27 colleagues who had been suspended from the company's Kancheepuram plant since last year.
The Samsung factory in Kancheepuram district's Sunguvarchatram employs more than 1,000 workers. The current agitation stems from a prolonged dispute that began last year when over 800 workers staged protests demanding higher wages, bonus payments, and recognition of their union. Following the protests, the management suspended 27 workers, accusing them of leading the stir.
While the suspended workers were assured of reinstatement after interventions by Minister for Labour Welfare CV Ganesan, the company has yet to comply. Ganesan had reportedly promised that the issue would be resolved, and the march previously scheduled for last month was deferred on the assurance of swift action. However, with no progress made, the workers decided to resume their agitation.
On Sunday morning, more than 500 workers, accompanied by their families, began a foot march from the Gandhi statue in Sunguvarchatram toward the State Secretariat. The Kancheepuram district police denied permission for the rally and deployed a heavy contingent to block the protesters at the starting point.
When the workers attempted to proceed despite the prohibition, police moved to stop and detain them. Tensions escalated as workers sat down on the road in protest, leading to a scuffle between the protesters and law enforcement personnel. After brief negotiations, police arrested the demonstrators and transported them to a private wedding hall.
All those detained were released later in the evening. The workers remain firm on their demand for the immediate reinstatement of the 27 suspended employees, raising questions about the efficacy of earlier assurances by State authorities.