Samsung strike: Can it crash Tamil Nadu’s dream?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Tamil Nadu dominates India’s electronics exports with a 34% share. This hard-won dominance is at stake as Samsung India workers’ strike at its Sriperumbudur unit refuses to die down and risks spreading to other units.
Mint takes a closer look at the issues involved: Workers at Samsung India’s manufacturing facility at Sriperumbudur went on strike on 9 September seeking higher wages and better working conditions. The workers, who earn an average of ₹25,000 per month, want ₹36,000 per month over a three-year period. They also want their CITU (Centre for Indian Trade Union)-backed union recognized.
The factory, which produces washing machines, refrigerators and TVs, and accounts for 30% of its $2 billion revenue in India, is operating with skeletal staff. The shares of Samsung Electronics fell by over 3% on the South Korean stock exchange on Friday. Read more: The Micromax trap: Why Noise, Fire-Boltt, boAt, and Boult need smart manoeuvres There have been examples of poor working and living conditions in the past.
In December 2021, mass food poisoning affected over 250 workers at Taiwanese phone maker Foxconn’s hostel facility in Sriperumbudur. The resultant protest exposed the poor living conditions at the Apple supplier. It forced Apple Inc.
to put the facility temporarily on ‘probation’. The development pushed the Tamil Nadu government to build industry-scale housing. Employees from other units have also been complaining.
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