In a midnight crackdown, at least 11 key functionaries of Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) were detained by Tamil Nadu police on Wednesday, October 9. This comes as leaders of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)’s alliance partners such as Congress, CPI(M), CPI, MDMK and VCK were expected to visit the protest site on Wednesday to extend solidarity to the workers.
According to reports, the Tamil Nadu police barged into the homes of the workers and took them into preventive detention. They also allegedly dismantled the tents at the protest site after the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) lodged a complaint stating that the protest was being held in government land.
Sharing a video of the workers being questioned by the police, CPIM Tamil Nadu said that police had arrested Samsung India labour union executives from their homes during the night. In the video, the workers could be seen asking the police the reason for their detention.
On Tuesday, October 8, several Samsung workers were screened and stopped from going to the factory in Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district. The police reportedly took photos of each of the workers’ Samsung identification cards without stating the reason. Several videos of the Tamil Nadu police doing this have been making the rounds on social media platforms.
Hundreds of Samsung workers have been protesting since September 9 with a set of demands, including recognition for their newly formed union called the Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam (SIWU), approval of wage revisions, and formulation of better working hours. Although Samsung India has signed a settlement agreement with some of its employees, the CITU has announced that the strike would continue because their key demand – the recognition of newly formed Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) – was not accepted.
The union moved the Madras High Court on September 30. The court has given the state government time until mid October to decide on the matter. On October 1, over 900 protesting Samsung workers were detained by police a day after the Court’s order.