CHENNAI – Approximately 100 workers and union leaders at a Samsung Electronics plant in Tamil Nadu, southern India, have been detained by police as they prepared for a protest march demanding higher wages. The detention, occurring on Monday, followed a week-long strike that has disrupted production at the plant, which is a significant contributor to Samsung’s $12 billion annual revenue from India.
The workers, who have been on strike for seven days, are calling for increased wages, union recognition, and improved working conditions. They have been protesting at a makeshift tent near the plant. The police action was reportedly taken due to the lack of permission for the protest march, according to Sankar Ganesh, a senior police official in Kancheepuram district.
Union leader A. Jenitan of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) confirmed that E. Muthukumar, a senior CITU leader involved in the protests, was among those detained. Samsung has yet to comment on the situation. The strike has highlighted ongoing labor issues, with Samsung resistant to recognizing the union backed by CITU and workers demanding better conditions and fair representation.