The Tamil Nadu government announced late Tuesday night that employees of South Korean electronics giant, Samsung, have called off their 37-day-long strike at Sunguvarchatram plant. The primary demand for recognition of the CITU-affiliated union has been put on hold.

Nearly 1,100 out of the 1,800 workers at the factory had initiated the strike on September 9, demanding a wage hike and recognition for their union, the Samsung India Labour Welfare Union, affiliated with the CITU.

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The strike had received support from both the opposition and the ruling DMK’s allies, including the Congress, putting Chief Minister MK Stalin’s government in a difficult position.

Amid concerns over maintaining industrial peace, especially as Chief Minister Stalin was pursuing investments abroad, the strike began during his investment trip to the USA.

Industry associations such as FICCI and CII had called for an amicable resolution. However, tensions escalated when police arrested union leaders at midnight and dismantled the protest site.

The decision to call off the strike was reached during a tripartite conciliatory negotiation on Tuesday (October 15) between Samsung management, striking workers, and Labour Welfare Department officials, according to an official release from the Labour Department.

The workers are expected to resume work, the release added. The latest talks followed several unsuccessful rounds of negotiations, including efforts led by a three-member ministerial team comprising Industry Minister TRB Rajaa, Labour Minister CV Ganesan, and MSME Minister TM Anbarasan.

The CITU is expected to formally approve the decision on Wednesday after a general body meeting.

“The talks concluded amicably. The decision to call off the strike will be taken in consultation with the protesting workers tomorrow,” CITU state president A Soundararajan, who participated in the negotiations, stated at the secretariat.

According to the official release, workers agreed to end the strike immediately and return to work, while the management assured that there would be no retaliation against those who participated in the protest.

Samsung management also committed to submitting a written response to the workers’ demands, including wage revision, before the Conciliation Officer.

The press release did not mention union recognition, likely due to the upcoming hearing of the CITU’s plea for union recognition by the Madras High Court next week.