Tamil Nadu police release striking Samsung workers detained for planning protest march

The strike, which has disrupted operations at the factory for the past week, highlights growing tensions between workers and management.

The unrest began on Sept. 9 when employees at the Samsung home appliance plant near Chennai stopped work, demanding higher wages.

The facility is crucial to Samsung’s operations in India, contributing about a third of the company's $12 billion annual revenue in the country.

The protests have raised concerns about the impact on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" initiative, which aims to attract foreign investment and triple electronics production to $500 billion in six years.

India, with its low labour costs, has become an attractive manufacturing hub for foreign companies seeking to diversify their supply chains away from China.

On Monday, the workers intended to stage a protest march but were detained due to a lack of permission, as the area includes schools, colleges, and hospitals, Reuters reported, quoting K. Shanmugam, a senior police officer in the Kancheepuram district.

By late Monday, all but three of the detained workers were released, A. Soundararajan, state president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), which is supporting the strike, told Reuters.

The striking workers, currently protesting at a makeshift tent near the plant, are calling for higher wages, the recognition of a CITU-backed union, and improved working conditions.

Samsung has been resistant to recognizing any union affiliated with national labor groups like the CITU, and negotiations with workers and state officials have not yet resolved the issue.

S. Kannan, Deputy General Secretary of CITU Tamil Nadu, criticized the police action, labeling it as an outdated approach by the state government.

Despite the police crackdown, 12 union groups, including one aligned with the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, have announced plans to support the strikers with a protest in Chennai on Wednesday (Sept. 18), potentially escalating tensions between the company and its employees.

The strike adds to Samsung’s challenges in India, a key market for growth.

The company is also planning to cut up to 30 percent of its overseas staff, including in India, and is facing scrutiny from India’s antitrust body over alleged collusion with e-commerce giants in exclusive device launches, according to Reuters.

Samsung did not respond to requests for comment on Monday but stated on Friday that it is in discussions with workers at the Chennai plant to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.

The Samsung plant, which manufactures appliances such as refrigerators, TVs, and washing machines, employs around 1,800 workers, with more than 1,000 currently on strike.

However, Samsung’s smartphone manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh has not experienced similar unrest.