S P Rajendran
AS Samsung workers continue their determined struggle for their rights, the Tamil Nadu police have stepped in to disrupt and suppress the protest.
On the 31st day (October 9) of the ongoing protest, as Samsung workers had announced they would continue their demonstration, the police took action to prevent them from reaching the protest site. They went to workers' homes – specifically threatening women in the workers' families – and overnight, dismantled the protest tent.
Despite the police intimidation, workers held their protest in the pouring rain. The police then arrested 725 workers, including CITU leaders A Soundararajan and E Muthukumar, demonstrating their loyalty to corporate employers.
BACKGROUND
Near Sunguvarchatram in Kanchipuram district, the multinational company Samsung has established its manufacturing plant in Ezhichur village. Here, products such as ACs, washing machines, TVs, and refrigerators are manufactured. More than 1,500 workers are employed.
For a long time, these workers have been subjected to forced overtime and exploitation without any legal rights, and are treated like bonded labourers. To fight for their rights, they started a CITU trade union. They also gave an application to the Labour Welfare department to officially register this union.
Further, the workers urged the factory management to negotiate with the CITU union regarding their 20-point demand list. However, the Samsung management not only refused to recognise the CITU union but also pressurised the Tamil Nadu Labour Welfare department and the state government not to register the "Samsung India Workers (CITU) Union." The Labour Welfare department succumbed to this pressure and has not registered the CITU union to date.
Following this, the 'Samsung India' workers have been on strike since September 9, for a month now. As support for their protest grew from all quarters, a committee consisting of ministers Tha.Mo. Anbarasan, CV Ganesan, and TRB Raja was announced to hold talks with the factory management and union officials, purportedly on the chief minister's instructions.
Samsung management refused to negotiate with the CITU union, which represents the majority of workers, regarding their demands. Instead, they made a sham agreement with a union representing very few employees, favouring the management. Tamil Nadu ministers cited this agreement, claiming that a consensus had been reached in negotiations and that only one faction of workers was continuing the protest.
This angered the workers. With more than a thousand workers as members, CITU wasn't even part of the negotiations. The ministers' announcement of an agreement was condemnable. CITU criticised the Tamil Nadu ministers for lacking understanding of trade union actions and workers' collective bargaining rights, and for acting like Samsung company representatives. Their actions were deemed highly inappropriate. As always, CITU announced that the Samsung workers' protest would continue, and accordingly, the strike continued for the 30th day on October 8th.
SUPPORT FROM POLITICAL PARTIES
To express solidarity with the workers, K Balakrishnan, state secretary of CPI(M), R Mutharasan, state secretary of CPI, K Selvaperunthagai MLA, Congress leader, Thol. Thirumavalavan MP, VCK leader, T Velmurugan MLA, TVK leader, and Anthri Das, one of the leaders of MDMK, announced that they would visit the protest site at Sunguvarchatram on Wednesday, October 9 (the 31st day of the protest). This news spread like wildfire.
Alarmed by this, the Tamil Nadu police, acting as Samsung's enforcement arm, began arresting union leaders from their homes in the middle of the night. Specifically, they dragged P Elan away in front of his wife without even stating where they were taking him.
Like searching for social outcasts, they roamed the roads all night looking for protesters. Anyone wearing blue clothes (Samsung uniform) was detained and interrogated until dawn. In this search, seven workers were arrested overnight and brought before a judge in an attempt to imprison them.
When other workers and union leaders learned of this, the police claimed they had released them on personal bail. However, they took them to Sunguvarchatram police station and treated them brutally under the guise of interrogation. All were released from the police station at 11 am after union leaders intervened.
DISMANTLING THE PROTEST TENT FILING FALSE CASES
Samsung employees have been peacefully protesting for the past 30 days, having set up a shamiana tent near Ezhichur village on the Little Mangadu Joint Road, within the jurisdiction of Sunguvarchatram police station.
During this time, a small vehicle passing by was involved in an accident. Upon learning this, Samsung company workers rushed to help those involved in the accident. At that time, a minor argument broke out between the police officers on security duty and the Samsung workers.
Using this as an excuse, the police filed a false case claiming that Samsung workers attacked the police special assistant inspector and some constables at the instigation of union leaders E Muthukumar and Elan Asik Ahmed. It was under this case that the aforementioned seven people were arrested.
The irony is that Muthukumar wasn't even present at the site during this incident. Nevertheless, the police, who fabricated the false case claiming the attack happened at Muthukumar's instigation, dismantled and burned the shamiana tent set up by the workers overnight.
In this situation, when workers who hadn't engaged in even the slightest violence arrived at the protest tent as usual on Wednesday, October 9, the police intercepted them on the bus, demanding to see their ID cards, provoking violence. This led to arguments between the police and workers at various locations.
Overcoming these various police obstructions, when the workers reached the protest tent, they were shocked to find that the tent had been dismantled. They informed other workers of this. Enraged workers gathered in waves. They sat in the empty space where the tent had been dismantled and continued their protest as usual.
Unable to tolerate this, the police threatened the workers to leave the area. However, the Samsung workers, stating they wouldn't back down, said, "We are protesting on private property, with permission. We haven't caused any disturbance to anyone or any vehicle." When the police refused to accept this, threatening to arrest everyone, the workers chanted slogans against police anarchy and presented their side's justification to the police. The police stood dumbfounded, unable to respond.
As time passed and thousands of workers gathered, the agitated police were determined to somehow arrest the workers and disperse them. They called in vehicles and rapid action force to arrest and transport the workers.
Furthermore, the police threatened to immediately close all the small shops that were open in the area. This made the area look like a battleground. At this point, there was an intense argument between the police and Samsung company workers for a short time. The Samsung workers stubbornly continued their protest, saying, "Arrest us all after our union leaders arrive. Until then, we won't leave this place."
At one point, the workers far outnumbered the police. Bewildered and not knowing what to do, the police informed higher officials and brought in more police force. As this news spread to nearby villages, villagers also flocked to the area.
Later, CITU leaders A Soundararajan, G Sukumaran, S Kannan, E Muthukumar, Gopi Kumar, and others arrived at the scene. Seeing the union leaders, the Samsung workers became more enthusiastic and intensified their protest.
The union leaders who came to the protest site held talks with police officials. They stated, "Samsung management should come forward to negotiate with our union. Until then, our protest will continue." Moreover, they firmly announced, "The place where we are protesting belongs to a private individual. He hasn't raised any objections. He has given us full rights to conduct our protest. Therefore, we will continue our protest."
Meanwhile, heavy rain poured down. However, from leaders to workers, no one moved from that place, continuing the protest while getting drenched in the rain.
As the Samsung protest intensified, newspaper and television media personnel converged. They captured the workers' determined protest in the pouring rain.
725 PEOPLE ARRESTED
While this spirited protest was going on for about three hours, after 12 noon, the police arrested all the workers and took them away in private vehicles. First, union leader E Muthukumar was arrested, followed by CITU state president A Soundararajan, and then the workers. They were confined in two halls. Even then, there wasn't enough space, causing the police to panic further.
Moreover, the police, acting loyally to the Samsung management, attempted to forcibly arrest the workers. In this process, some workers who had been straining their bodies in the protest were physically affected. Specifically, two people, including Manikandan, fainted. Following this, a 108 ambulance was called, and with the help of fellow workers, they were immediately taken to the nearby Sriperumbudur Government Hospital. This caused a commotion at the protest site.
Meanwhile, the workers were visited at the wedding halls by K Balakrishnan, state secretary of the CPI(M); K V Thangabalu, senior leader of the Congress Party; R Mutharasan, state secretary of the Communist Party of India; M Veerapandian, deputy general secretary; Thol. Thirumavalavan MP, leader of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi; Vanniarasu, deputy general secretary; Abdul Samad MLA of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi; and S Kannan, K Samuel Raj, state executive committee members of the CPI(M); P Sundarrajan, A Arumuga Nainar, state committee members: C Sankar, Kanchipuram district secretary; Bharathi Anna, Chengalpattu district secretary, and others.
Later, addressing the media, the leaders stated, "The demand of the Samsung workers who have been continuously protesting for the past 31 days is justified," and "Chief Minister MK Stalin should immediately intervene in this matter, conduct negotiations, and find an amicable solution."
Furthermore, they announced, "We will meet the chief minister in person within a day or two along with allied party leaders to urge the registration of the union formed by the majority of workers in the Samsung company!"
Earlier, the police were strict about not allowing any outsiders into the Sunguvarchatram area. All newly arrived vehicles were stopped, checked, and only then allowed to proceed. The police took the entire Sunguvarchatram under their control.
(With inputs from C Sri Ramulu)
Samsung Workers Allowed to Protest! Chennai High Court Ruling in CITU Case
THE Tamil Nadu police, in an attempt to suppress the Samsung workers' protest, raided their homes and arrested more than 10 people. They dismantled the tents at the protest site in a disruptive overnight operation.
Habeas Corpus Petition!
Workers protesting for their trade union rights is a fundamental right granted by the Constitution. CITU condemned the arrest of Samsung workers and filed a habeas corpus petition in the Chennai High Court, demanding the release of the workers.
The petition was filed as an urgent appeal by lawyer Thirumoorthy on behalf of the CITU trade union before a bench comprising Justices C T Balaji and Arulmurgan.
The petition stated, "They are trying to illegally suppress a legal protest using the police force." It also mentioned that the protest was being held peacefully 500 meters away from the site as per the High Court's order. Therefore, the petition requested that no hindrance should be caused to the workers.
The Additional Advocate General Damodaran, appearing for the government, informed that none of the arrested workers were imprisoned. He stated that when the police presented them before the magistrate, the magistrate refused to remand them and ordered their release on personal bond. He confirmed that currently, no one is in illegal custody. The lawyer appearing for the police also gave the same response.
No Ban on Protests
Senior advocate NGR Prasad pointed out, "Previously in this case, Chennai High Court Justice Jayachandran did not impose any restrictions on workers holding peaceful protests 500 meters away from the Samsung factory," and "The protest is currently proceeding accordingly."
Taking note of this, the judges ruled that "There is no restriction on workers holding peaceful protests" and concluded the habeas corpus petition.
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