100 Samsung workers, leaders arrested amid labor disputes in India
What's the story
In a significant development, 100 striking employees and union leaders from Samsung have been arrested in India. The arrests were made as they planned an unauthorized protest march, according to police officials. This action marks a major escalation in the ongoing labor dispute at the Samsung home appliance plant near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The workers have been demanding increased wages for seven days now, disrupting production that contributes to approximately one-third of Samsung's $12 billion annual revenue from the country.
Preventive arrest
Workers detained for planning unauthorized protest
Sankar Ganesh, a senior police official in Kancheepuram district, told Reuters that the workers were taken into "preventive arrest." He did not provide additional information. An unnamed police source revealed that the arrests were made due to the workers' failure to obtain permission for their protest march. The planned location of the march is near schools, colleges, and hospitals, and could have disturbed public peace. Samsung plant in question employs approximately 1,800 workers, with over 1,000 participating in the strike.
Alternative detention
Employees held in wedding halls
The detained workers are being held in wedding halls due to space constraints at police stations. "We have detained them in wedding halls as all of them can't be in stations," Shanmugam explained. Since last week, the striking workers have set up a makeshift tent near the plant, demanding higher wages, recognition for a union supported by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), and improved working hours.
Recognition resistance
Samsung reluctant to recognize CITU-supported union
A. Jenitan, a CITU union leader, informed Reuters that police have also detained E. Muthukumar, a senior leader who was leading the Samsung protests. "The workers have been instructed to return to the strike tent," he said. Despite ongoing talks with workers and state government officials, Samsung has been hesitant to recognize any union associated with a national labor organization like CITU, leading to a stalemate in negotiations.