In a significant development for Samsung, the prolonged strike by its employees at the Tamil Nadu plant was called off on Tuesday following comprehensive discussions involving representatives of the workers, the state government, and company management.
The 37-day strike concluded after a series of meetings conducted by various departments, leading to the announcement of several welfare measures by Samsung aimed at benefiting the workforce. A statement from the Tamil Nadu government confirmed this outcome.
A spokesperson for Samsung India expressed the company's satisfaction with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions' (CITU) decision to end the strike. The company also assured that no action would be taken against employees who participated in what it described as an "illegal" strike, emphasising its commitment to fostering a positive work environment at the Chennai factory as reported by the Economic Times.
"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," the spokesperson stated.
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Following the announcement, all striking workers are set to return to their positions without fear of disciplinary measures, as they agreed not to pursue any "pre-judicial" actions. Additionally, Samsung's management will provide a written response to the workers' charter of demands to the conciliation officer.
"Both parties have accepted this advice. The workers informed that they would call off the strike immediately and return to work," the statement added, confirming the end of the strike and the resumption of work by all employees.
Previously, around 1,100 of the total 1,750 Samsung India employees had been on strike since 9 September, advocating for demands including wage revisions, improved working conditions, and the registration of the newly-formed Samsung India Workers Union, supported by CITU.
Tensions escalated last Thursday when some workers and CITU leaders were arrested for protesting without permission; they were later released. In response, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had directed several ministers to facilitate discussions between Samsung and the striking workers.
The decision to end the strike was reached during a conciliatory meeting held at the Department of Labour Welfare's office in Chennai, attended by representatives from both Samsung India and the workers.
Samsung's Chennai facility produces a range of appliances and consumer durable goods, contributing to approximately one-fifth of the company's revenue, which totalled ₹96,628.90 crore (nearly $12 billion) in FY23. The company also operates a plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, focused on smartphone manufacturing.
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