Samsung India workers call off over a month long strike after amicable resolution

Samsung India workers strike has been called off

The workers' strike at Samsung India's plant near Chennai has been called off, after workers resolved the issues amicably and the management announced several welfare measures on October 15.

A statement by the Tamil Nadu Labour Department said that after instructions from Chief Minister MK Stalin and other ministers, officials from various departments conducted meetings with concerned parties. Based on these conciliatory talks, it was decided to call off the strike with immediate effect and resume work.

A Samsung India spokesperson said the company welcomes the decision to call of the strike, and assured no action against the participating workers. “Samsung India welcomes CITU’s decision to call off the illegal strike. We thank the government of Tamil Nadu for its support and welcome our workers who have decided to return to work unconditionally. We will not take action against workers who merely participated in the illegal strike. We are committed to work closely with our workers to make the Chennai factory a great place to work.”

The management of Samsung India announced several measures in the interest of the workers, as per the communication by the State Labour Department.

Workers also received assurance that the management 'will not victimise' those who had participated in the strike after resumption of work.

The management has promised a written assurance to the charter of demand filed by the workers before the conciliation officer, said the State Labour Department. The striking workers of Samsung India's plant too have assured that they will cooperate with the management, and will do any act that is 'prejudicial to the interest of the management'.

A group of over 1,000 striking workers at the Samsung Electronics' Chennai factory were holding a sit-in protest, that had entered its 37th day.

The plant - one of Samsung's two factories in India - employs roughly 1,800 permanent workers and makes refrigerators, TVs and washing machines. The other one in Uttar Pradesh makes smartphones.

Critical to Samsung's ambitions in India, the plant accounted for roughly one-fifth of its $12 billion sales from India in FY23.