Samsung plant protests: 600 workers, union members detained by Tamil Nadu police
Chennai: Tamil Nadu police has reportedly detained around 600 Samsung Electronics workers and union members on Tuesday for organising a street protest, as a strike at the South Korean firm's home appliances plant in Tamil Nadu entered its fourth week.
Charles Sam Rajadurai, a senior state police official, told Reuters that Samsung employees and workers linked to labour group CITU, which is leading the protest, were detained because their march near Chennai was causing public inconvenience.
More than 1,000 workers have disrupted operations and protested in a makeshift tent near the factory close to capital city since September 9, 2024. They are demanding higher wages and union recognition at the plant, which accounts for roughly a third of Samsung's annual revenue in India, totaling $12 billion, the news agency noted.
Police had detained 104 striking Samsung workers on September 16, 2024 for almost a day.
The report added that the protests cast a shadow over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's drive for foreign investors to "Make in India" and is India's biggest such strike in recent years. Samsung has warned that the striking workers risk losing their jobs.
Samsung earlier highlighted that the the average monthly salary of full-time manufacturing workers at the plant is nearly double that of similar workers in the region, and stated that it was open to engaging with employees to resolve the issue.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
EC sets stringent condition for Ram Rahim's parole, bars him from entering Haryana
New Delhi, Oct 1: The Election Commission has set stringent terms for granting parole to rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, including a ban on his entry in Haryana, delivering public speeches and indulging in political activity.
The Haryana government on Tuesday granted 20-day parole to the sect chief, official sources said.
In a letter to Haryana Jail Department's additional chief secretary, the state chief electoral officer referred to the September 30 letter by the administration which conveyed the "emergency and compelling reasons" furnished by the convict while seeking a 20-day parole.
The CEO said, "In view of the above mentioned letters, the state government may consider the matter regarding grant of parole (20 days) to convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh confined in district jail, Rohtak, subject to the correctness of the facts regarding emergency and compelling reasons as mentioned in your letter dated September 30,"
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, is convicted in a rape case.
The CEO said that the parole will be subject to the conditions that he will not visit Haryana, will not make any public speech or indulge in any political activity during this period.
"Further, a strict watch should be kept on the movement of convict and it should be ensured that he does not indulge in any election-related activity. If he is found indulging in any objectionable activity, his parole should be cancelled forthwith," the letter warned.
The state goes to assembly polls on October 5 and results would be out on October 8.
The state administration has sought the EC's permission as the Model Code of Conduct is in place.
