Samsung goes to court as workers protest in southern India

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - Samsung Electronics has filed a lawsuit against its workers who are on protest in southern India seeking better wages and improved working conditions.

Court records on Friday in Tamil’s Nadu state showed that Samsung India had filed a suit in the Kanchipuram district on Sept. 12 and the court issued a notice to the respondent parties asking them to respond to Samsung's plea by Oct. 28.

“Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu are on 12th Day of Strike. Infamous Samsung Management is resorting to intimidation,” the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is supporting the protest said on Friday.

It said the National Samsung Electronics Union in South Korea extended firm solidarity with the striking Samsung workers of the Chennai plant.

Samsung urged the court “to issue an injunction restraining the newly formed Samsung India Workers Union that is backed by CITU, from agitating and disrupting work.”

The workers are demanding better wages and improved working conditions.

Around 90% of the 1,723 workers at the Samsung India Sriperumbudur plant in the Tamil Nadu state are on strike, according to the CITU, which is supporting the protest.

Earlier this week, the CITU said that more than 100 striking workers were detained Monday, but that they were released later.

Samsung last week said it had initiated discussions with workers at the Chennai plant "to resolve all issues at the earliest."