Indian police detained approximately 600 Samsung Electronics employees and union members on Tuesday during a street protest, marking an escalation in the ongoing labor dispute at the tech giant’s Chennai factory.
The workers, who have been on strike since September 9, are demanding better wages, eight-hour workdays, and recognition of their union, CITU. The protest has been centered near Samsung’s Chennai plant, the company’s second-largest in India, which generates nearly one-third of Samsung’s $12 billion annual revenue in the country.
Charles Sam Rajadurai, a senior state police official, stated that the protesters were detained due to public inconvenience caused by their march.
“The workers have been peacefully demonstrating for weeks, but today’s action was deemed disruptive to public order,” Rajadurai said.
According to union member S. Kannan, police have detained and released thousands of workers since the strike began. “Since September 9, at least 10,000 workers have been detained, though most were soon released,” Kannan told the EFE news agency.
The striking workers are seeking to increase their average monthly wage from 25,000 rupees (approximately $300) to 36,000 rupees within three years.
Samsung has threatened dismissals for striking workers while stating it remains open to negotiations. The company claims that workers at the Chennai factory earn nearly twice as much as similar workers in the region.
This labor dispute echoes similar actions at Samsung facilities in South Korea earlier this year, where the National Samsung Electronics Union represents about 24% of the company’s workforce.
