Is Left Affiliated CITU Deliberately Prolonging The Strike At Samsung Plant?

The ongoing industrial dispute at the Samsung facility along the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway is drawing quite an attention. Since it is spearheaded by the Left-affiliated CITU (Centre for Indian Trade Union), the face-off at Samsung has elicited an extraordinary interest both at the state and national levels. The reasons are not far to seek. After all, the CITU is backed by a Left party, which is in alliance with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. With New Delhi giving an advisory to the Stalin government to resolve the Samsung imbroglio quickly, the multi-dimension to the face-off is not missed. The Stalin regime, in the meanwhile, managed to cobble together a tri-party pact between the State Government, management and the non-striking workers on issues such as salary hike and others. The leaders of the CITU have, however, insisted that the union must be recognised. Even as they remain steadfast on this demand, the CITU union has reportedly sounded out the CITU-affiliated workers in Chennai and other areas to donate funds to support the cause of striking workers at Samsung. This advisory on fund mobilisation has become a topic of intense discussion among the labour community in the Chennai region. Coming as it did at an inopportune time when there is a concerted effort to make India the manufacturing hub in the wake of a fast-changing global geo-political dynamics, the Samsung fracas seems to have an upsetting impact.