The story of striking SAMSUNG employees was appearing in the headlines for a couple of weeks. It was reported that for about 1300 of 1800!employees were sitting outside the SAMSUNG factory building in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
Earlier this week, the company announced that the workers ended the 38 day strike sponsored by politically affiliated CITU according to the company’s Indian website news dated 18th, October.
There were many demands by the employees included pay raises, improved facilities and recognition for political party affiliated unions. Even though SAMSUNG had not confirmed on the recognition of the formation of the union, they have agreed to respond to other demands in a formal written statement.
Unionization in SAMSUNG and it’s striking workers in the past
Even though the SILWU was formed little more than a year ago, they couldn’t get it registered as the name contained the word SAMSUNG. The Samsung India Labour Welfare Union (SILWU) can be registered after the case with the court verdict.
The Tamil Nadu state government was late in intervening in the issue however they were instrumental in getting the settlement reached and the workers returning to work.
The first ever strike by Samsung employees was in June this year which ended in August in South Korea. We are not sure this could have been the cause for the Indian employees to start the protest.
It was in the news about 10 years ago a union leader named Yeom Ho-seok, 34-year-old unionist, from Samsung, Yangsan branch committed suicide and his dramatic suicidal note made you the news. It’s believed that Mr. Ho-seok was a contractor and was not assigned enough work was not making enough money to sustain his life with the lesser pay, which was believed to have forced his to take his own life.
Mr.Ho-seok wrote in the note to his father mentioned,
“There is one favor I need to ask of you. Please hold a funeral only after a good result comes to my local of the Samsung Electronics Services union. Please scatter my ashes here in Jeongdoingjin where the sun rises.”
Also there were agitations and protests in South Korea demanding SAMSUNG to recognize the unions. Compared to the successful protests in S.Korea by SAMSUNG employees, the agitation can be considered as successful. We have to wait for a few months to see if the promises made by the management are executed.
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