Things aren’t going well for Samsung in India. Samsung India’s Sriperumbudur plant near Tamil Nadu’s Chennai has been the site of some tension after around 500 workers staged a protest last Friday. This isn’t the first time the plant has seen unrest – it’s the second protest in less than six months. The workers are demanding that three of their colleagues, who were recently suspended, be reinstated. They believe the suspensions were unfair.
Samsung India business operations continue despite ongoing protests
In response, Samsung India has filed complaints against the workers who broke company rules. A spokesperson also mentioned that disciplinary action would be taken once an investigation wraps up. Despite the protests, Samsung reassured that production at the plant wasn’t impacted. And only a handful of workers were involved in the protest by Saturday local time. Most employees, they said, carried on with their work as usual.
“Despite the illegal action by some, most of our workers remain dedicated in ensuring that normal business operations continue,” a company spokesperson told Economic Times. “We continue to make efforts towards a collective agreement with our workers to resolve the issues and for this we remain open to a dialogue facilitated by the government.”
The Sriperumbudur facility is vital to Samsung’s business in India. It manufactures TVs, fridges, and washing machines. It contributes a hefty portion to the company’s $12 billion revenue in India. Not to mention, it’s strategically located near Foxconn’s plant, where the iPhone 16 Pro series is assembled. Despite its significance, the plant has been a flashpoint for tension for some time. Back in September of last year, a month-long protest took place, during which protestors went as far as forming the Samsung India Workers Union (SIWU).
Now, workers are accusing Samsung of not sticking to an agreement made to end the September strike — something that’s only adding fuel to the fire. As the company faces this growing labor dispute, it’s got a choice to make. Keep things running smoothly, or risk letting this simmer into something bigger. Either way, it looks like the heat is on.
