The Tamil Nadu Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) requested the employees of the Samsung to return to work, promising that the recognition of CITU, the trade union, would be done after the court delivered its verdict on the matter.
“Rivals can take advantage of the strike and divert the attention from real issues. The government and the Chief Minister stand by you. Return to work in the interests of jobs for the youth and employment opportunities in the State,” he appealed to them.
At a media briefing after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Mr Rajaa, accompanied by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, said it was unfair to continue the strike after the Chief Minister directly intervened in the issue and designated three ministers to hold talks with workers and the management.
He said the management was also ready to fulfill the demands of the workers including high-quality food, standard locks and air-conditioning facilities in all the 108 buses.
“Workers are losing salary for the days they are not working. What way can it be justified? Should the workers lose their salary for the recognition of the trade union? Already workers have lost one month’s salary and any delay in returning to work will result in loss of pay,” he said.
Mr Rajaa said the Chief Minister was particular about generating employment opportunities and he never asked about who the investors were. “He (CM) is your comrade and he stands by you. You should give up the protest and return to work. The government will consider the genuine demands of the workers,” he said.
Asked about the CITU’s allegation that the government and Ministers had taken decisions in favour of Samsung, Mr Rajaa countered, “do you think so?”
The Minister said the striking workers should also view the issue from the point of view of other workers, who had concerns about their jobs. “We held talks with them. They asked why they were being forced into a situation which may result in losing jobs,” he said.
Mr Rajaa said newly-weds were working in the company and those who had completed Plus Two and ITI were getting ₹70,000 per month. “There is no truth in the allegation that only ₹21,000 is paid as salary.
“One worker, who has not learnt the skills of the job, is paid the amount. The management could have sacked him. But retained him on humanitarian grounds. Others are getting more than ₹35,000,” he said.
He said the DMK government had changed the industrial climate in the state from “the 10 year dark rule” (of erstwhile AIADMK government — 2011 to 2021) and the Chief Minister had attracted investment to the tune of ₹10 lakh crore and generated 31 lakh jobs.
Published - October 08, 2024 07:01 pm IST
