Samsung lines up 'no work, no pay' policy to bring back striking workers

As the strike at Samsung Electronics' manufacturing unit at Sriperumbudur in Chennai entered its 15th day on Monday, the company management has issued a showcause notice to the striking workers, highlighting its 'no work, no pay' policy. It also hinted at the dismissal of workers if they continue with the strike.

The strike, backed by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), started on September 9. According to sources, a significant number of striking workers returned to work on Monday after the show cause notice was issued.

According to the showcause notice, workers will not be paid for the duration of the "illegal strike", in accordance with the 'no work, no pay' policy. "The management has already indicated that all issues can be resolved through discussions and has made various harmonious attempts to resolve differences and for you to report to duty," a Samsung official said.

The workers were further informed that they would be dismissed from service if they continued with the illegal strike and failed to respond to the showcause notice. "If you fail to report to work within four days from the date of receipt of this notice, you are directed to show cause within seven days from the date of receipt of this notice as to why you should not be dismissed from service," according to the showcause notice.

The strike at Samsung’s Chennai factory initially impacted the production of consumer goods such as televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines. However, the impact of the strike is minimal now, and the company expects production to be near normal starting this week, a company source said.

"The welfare of our workers is our top priority, and we will continue to engage with them to address any grievances they may have. At the same time, we have also ensured that there is no disruption to our consumers ahead of the festive season," the official added.