Abirami Sekar
Chennai, 4th October 2024

Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. production fell 85% last month after workers agitated for better pay, union recognition and the removal of long working hours. Production is currently being handled by contractual workers and apprentices who lack knowledge of safety measures and operations , said a member of the Samsung India Workers Union, on the condition of anonymity.

The electronic giant’s production plant in Kanchipuram has a daily production target of 2,000-2,200 units of air conditioners and 2,600 units of washing machines. Each unit undergoes a key processing stage that takes 10-11 seconds, while the overall assembly process takes significantly longer. The plant operates with 350 workers across multiple production lines. The workers have to work overtime to meet the production goals. “Our shift ends at 5 p.m., but to meet demands, we are asked to work overtime until 8 p.m.,” said the person quoted above.

The strike could hinder India’s goal of becoming a global manufacturing hub if the labour unrest continues unresolved, said Ajay Srivastava, an analyst for Global Trade Research Initiative. Under the “Make in India” initiative, the country aims to triple its electronics production to $500bn over the next six years. “With Tamil Nadu contributing 34% to India’s electronics exports, the economic implications of the strike are far-reaching,” he said.

The Samsung India Workers Union-Centre of Indian Trade Unions (SIWU-CITU) said they will continue their strike until their demands are met. The strike is no longer confined to Samsung. CITU is also pushing for union recognition at other major manufacturers including Foxconn, and Sanmina. The unrest could disrupt the state’s electronics manufacturing sector which would negatively affect India’s manufacturing industry, said Srivastava. Calls and emails to Samsung did not elicit a response.