Labour Minister writes to Tamil Nadu CM, seeks early intervention in Samsung workers protest
Sep 25, 2024
New Delhi [India], September 25 : Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya has written a letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin regarding the ongoing workers' strike at the Sriperumbudur plant of Samsung Electronics.
According to sources, the Union Minister has urged the state government to intervene to ensure an early and amicable resolution for maintaining a positive manufacturing sector ecosystem.
The sources added that the central minister also assured full support from his ministry to help the state in resolving the matter efficiently.
More than 1,000 Samsung workers have been on strike near the factory since September 9, demanding the implementation of various key demands, including a wage hike, union recognition, and an eight-hour workday.
As the strike by employees in Chennai continues, the company on Tuesday said that it is paying 1.8 times more than the average salary of manufacturing workers in the region.
"At Samsung India, the welfare of our workers is our top priority. The average monthly salary of our full-time manufacturing workers at the Chennai plant is 1.8 times higher than that of similar workers employed by other companies in the region," the company stated on Tuesday.
"Our workers are also eligible for overtime pay and other allowances. We provide a workplace environment that ensures the highest standards of health, safety, and welfare. We reiterate that we are ready to engage with our workers to address their grievances so they can return to work at the earliest," the company statement added.
The company has maintained that it is ready to engage with the workers to address their grievances.
Two rounds of talks with the state labour department and state labour minister at the secretariat have failed.
Several Samsung workers have been on a strike near the factory premises in Chennai since September 9, to implement their 20 demands including wage hike, union recognition and 8-hour work.
