THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a statement issued on October 9, condemned the arrest of CITU national vice president A S Soundarajan, state secretary E Muthukumar, and other Samsung workers on strike. The removal of the pandal at the protest site in Sriperumbudur by the Tamil Nadu state government was also denounced. CITU urged the state government to uphold the workers' right to form a union.

CITU criticised the efforts of three state government ministers to protect Samsung’s management by denying workers their basic statutory right to form a union, while enabling pro-management, strike-breaking minority workers to enter into a memorandum of agreement under the guise of a works committee.

The majority of the workers have resolved to form a union and have applied for registration under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, but the state government has not yet registered it. Meanwhile, Samsung’s management has refused to recognise the union, instead established the works committee, which is illegal pending the union’s registration. The management’s refusal to recognise the union or negotiate with its representatives violates both Indian law and international labour standards, including ILO Convention C87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, 1948) and Convention C98 (Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, 1949).

On October 8, 2024, CITU held nationwide protests in solidarity with the striking Samsung workers, urging the state government to uphold the workers' right to unionise. However, the state ministers have sided with Samsung’s management against the workers, despite the court ruling in favour of the workers' right to protest and releasing the arrested leaders and workers.