Samsung Workers' Strike in Tamil Nadu: Over 600 Detained

Indian police detained around 600 Samsung workers and union members for organizing a protest, as a strike at Samsung's home appliances plant in Tamil Nadu enters its fourth week. The workers demand higher wages and union recognition, impacting Samsung's operations and challenging India's 'Make in India' initiative.

Indian police detained approximately 600 Samsung Electronics workers and union members on Tuesday amid an ongoing strike at the company's home appliances plant in Tamil Nadu, now in its fourth week.

Since September 9, over 1,000 workers have disrupted operations and set up a protest camp near the Chennai plant, demanding higher wages and union recognition. This facility contributes significantly to Samsung's annual revenue of $12 billion in India.

Charles Sam Rajadurai, a senior state police official, mentioned the workers linked to labour group CITU were detained as their protest was causing public inconvenience. Previously, on September 16, police held 104 striking workers for nearly a day.

The protests pose a major challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign, marking the country's most significant labor strike in recent years. While Samsung warned workers about potential job losses, it has not commented further despite stating earlier that average monthly salaries at the plant are nearly double that of similar workers in the region. CITU claims workers earn 25,000 rupees ($300) monthly and are seeking a raise to 36,000 rupees over the next three years.

(With inputs from agencies.)