Samsung Chennai workers win legal battle, but allege retaliation by tech giant

A 38-day protest. A midnight police crackdown. More than 200 days of legal wrangle. And finally, a rare victory — the Tamil Nadu Labour Department officially registered the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU) on January 27, 2025.

It was considered a landmark moment—a successful unionisation drive against a global tech giant. In Tamil Nadu, it also became one of the longest struggles for official union registration, second only to the 2018 Royal Enfield Union protest, which lasted over 50 days.

At Samsung India’s Sriperumbudur plant, located 40 km from Chennai, workers fought for better wages, safer working conditions, and the right to unionise. But soon, the issue came back to square one.

On February 5, barely a week after gaining recognition, Samsung India suspended three employees. The number soon rose to 23 — all key figures in the protest. The company cited “disrupting work” as the reason for the suspensions, but the workers see it as a direct attack and say it's an act of vengeance.

'Samsung tried to stop us'

“Samsung tried to stop us from forming the union legally, but we prevailed,” said Muthukumar, President of SIWU. “By mutual agreement, we withdrew protests and did not disrupt production. But they retaliated, breaking the agreement.”

When the initial protest ended, the Tamil Nadu government brokered an agreement between Samsung and the workers, outlining four key conditions — one of which explicitly stated that no action should be taken against employees for their participation in protests. However, within days, the suspensions began.

Also Read: Samsung workers in Tamil Nadu threaten massive strike

Intimidation allegation

Suspension letters accessed by The Federal do not specify the duration of the suspensions.

The trouble started when three workers requested a meeting with the Managing Director, citing intimidation inside the factory by a newly formed ‘working committee’ — a body allegedly backed by Samsung to counter the union.

“To prove that this committee is legitimate, the company started giving them the upper hand,” said a Samsung worker who requested anonymity.

Relentless targeting

Workers allege that intimidation tactics extended beyond the factory premises.

“There is proof for everything,” said another worker. “They book a car, send it to workers’ homes, and approach their families. They say — ‘Your husband went to the union and caused problems.’

"But the families don’t know about the suffering we go through inside the factory. The workers themselves don’t speak about the humiliation they face.”

Also Read: TN | Standoff between Samsung India and workers continues at plant

Following the suspensions, workers staged a 16-day sit-in protest inside the factory. They endured harsh conditions, including what they describe as targeted harassment.

“Even in jail, prisoners don’t get special treatment — everyone eats the same food,” a worker said. “But here, they threatened the canteen staff, telling them what kind of food we should be given. They did it in front of us — just to provoke us, to create fights, and to throw us out. This was all planned.”

Labour Dept intervenes

The Tamil Nadu Labour Department intervened, leading to a series of peace talks. The protesting workers agreed to relocate their demonstration to Kanchipuram, nearly 20 km away from the factory.

But instead of de-escalation, the company intensified its response. On February 21, Samsung suspended 14 more workers.

“For 15 days, we simply sat in. But during that time, Samsung used the working committee to weaken the union and brought in casual workers,” Muthukumar said. “We complained to government officials on February 5 and 13, but nothing changed even though they knew what was happening.”

The Federal approached Samsung India, but the company has not responded to these allegations yet. Meanwhile, SIWU is preparing to escalate its protest, rallying more workers to join their cause. Union leaders say they still hope for a resolution that ensures peace.