Five days of production disruption at a Samsung facility in southern India have brought attention to a politically supported union that is trying to gain more clout in the nation’s expanding electronics industry. In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” plan, which intends to quadruple output to $500 billion within six years, low salaries have triggered demonstrations in India.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) supports the striking workers in their demand for wage hikes, noting persistent problems with low pay and limited chances for collective bargaining. This turmoil brings to light the rising worries about working conditions in India’s manufacturing industry, which has drawn the attention of multinational behemoths like Micron, Samsung, and Foxconn due to its business-friendly laws and inexpensive labor. CITU, a union that was formerly prominent in the automotive industry, is currently seeking to increase its impact in the electronics sector.
Employees at Samsung are requesting a pay increase of 36,000 rupees (€386/$430) over three years, from their current average salary of 25,000 rupees (€260/$300). While experts caution that if multinational corporations better complied with labor regulations and guaranteed fair salaries, strikes might be decreased, Samsung has started talks with workers to fix the matter despite the continuous demonstrations.