The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) condemns the arrest of CITU national Vice President A.S.Soundarajan, State Secretary E. Muthukumar and other Samsung Workers on strike, removing the pandal at the protest site at Sriperumbadur by the Tamil Nadu State Govt and urges the state Govt to uphold the right of the workers to form the Union.

CITU condemns the efforts of the three Ministers of the state Govt to shield the management of Samsung denying the basic statutory right of workers to form the Union and enabling the pro management strike breaking minority workers to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement in the name of Works Committee. 

The majority of the workers resolved to form the Union and have applied for the registration of Trade Union under the Trade Unions Act 1926 which is not registered until now by the state Govt. In the meantime the management has not recognized the Union but has come up with the Works Committee which is illegal and unlawful pending the registration of Union. Further the Samsung Management’s denial to recognize the Union, and discuss with representatives’ of the Union violates the law of the land and ILO Convention- CO87: The Freedom of Association and Protection of Right to Organize Convention-1948 & the Convention- CO98: The Right to Organize & Collective Bargaining Convention-1949.

The CITU held protests across the nation in solidarity with the striking Samsung workers on 8.10.2024, urging the State Govt to intervene and uphold the right to Union of the workers. But the State Govt Ministers have stood with the Samsung Management against the workers while the Court has upheld the right of the workers to protest and released the arrested leaders and workers. Please find the press release of the CITU Tamil Nadu State Committee attached for the latest updates and details.

Issued by,
Tapan Sen
General Secretary