‘No work, no pay’, Samsung warns striking Indian workers as conflicts escalate Reuters

By Praveen Paramasivam

CHENNAI, India (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics ( KS: ) has warned its striking workers in southern India that they will not receive wages if they continue to protest and also face the risk of being terminated, an e -company email, escalating a dispute between the company and its employees.

Hundreds of Samsung workers have stopped work since September 9 and protested in a makeshift tent near its home appliance factory near Chennai. They demanded higher wages and union recognition at the factory, which contributes about a third of Samsung’s $12 billion in annual revenue in India.

Samsung sued the protesting union in a district court last week, seeking a temporary injunction to curb slogans and speeches in and around the factory. But Thursday’s judge asked only for a quick resolution.

Samsung India’s HR team wrote an email to striking workers on Friday, saying they were engaging in an “illegal strike” and would not be entitled to wages for the duration of the strike.

“You will not be entitled to wages from 09/09/2024 until the date you report back to work on a ‘No Work, No Pay’ basis,” the email, seen by Reuters, said.

The email also warned that if employees did not join the service within four days, they would have to explain why they “should not be fired.”

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment. The company told Reuters in a statement last week that it had initiated talks with factory workers “to resolve all issues as soon as possible”.

At least three striking Samsung workers confirmed to Reuters that they had received Friday’s warning email from the human resources team.

The email also said that Samsung management indicated that all issues could be resolved through discussion.

Samsung workers earn an average of 25,000 rupees ($300) a month, according to the powerful labor group CITU, which has helped mobilize workers at the factory. They are asking for a raise of 36,000 rupees ($430) over three years.

Samsung does not want to recognize any union backed by a national labor group like CITU, and talks with workers and state officials have not yielded a resolution.