The strike was the biggest such labour dispute in recent years in India. The strikers disrupted production and protested in a makeshift tent close to the factory in Chennai, demanding higher wages and union recognition. The plant is critical to Samsung’s ambitions and accounted for roughly one-fifth of its $12 billion India sales in 2022-23.
Samsung last week made a proposal to provide a monthly incentive of 5,000 rupees ($60) until March, more air conditioned buses, a diversified cafeteria menu and a gift card of $24 in case of a child birth, according to the settlement document seen by Reuters.
But the labour group backing the protests, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), had rejected the agreement as it didn’t recognise their union, A. Soundararajan, its state president had said.
Samsung workers earn 25,000 rupees ($300) on average each month and were demanding a raise of 36,000 rupees a month spread over three years, according to the CITU. Samsung had said the average monthly salary of full-time manufacturing workers at the plant is nearly double that of similar workers in the region.
The plant, which employs roughly 1,800 permanent workers and makes refrigerators, TVs and washing machines, is one of Samsung’s two factories in India. The other one in Uttar Pradesh state makes smartphones, but has witnessed no labour unrest.
























