Days after the Tamil Nadu Labour Department officially recognized the Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU), the company suspended three of its office-bearers, triggering a sit-in protest by workers on Wednesday.

SIWU President E. Muthukumar told DT Next that the suspensions were a result of the leaders opposing the management’s efforts to force workers into joining a company-backed workers’ committee. He stated that the workers staged a protest demanding the revocation of the suspensions and an end to such pressure. He also confirmed that the labour department had invited them for discussions on the matter.

The SIWU was formally registered on January 27 after a prolonged 38-day strike and a legal battle. Samsung workers had launched an indefinite strike on September 9, demanding a revised pay structure, improved working conditions, and official union recognition. The strike ended after the management agreed to a negotiated settlement, and the government assured compliance with a Madras High Court order regarding union registration.

Despite returning to work, SIWU, affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), accused the management of pressuring employees to join its committee. The union even lodged a complaint with the labour commission. Samsung, in response to SIWU’s 20-point charter of demands, including a wage hike, had proposed an additional pay increase of ₹9,000 during a conciliatory meeting at the Assistant Labour Commissioner’s Office in Irungattukottai.

With tensions escalating after the suspensions, the labour department’s intervention is expected to play a crucial role in resolving the dispute between the workers and Samsung’s management.