Strike Led To Loss Of $100 Million: Samsung Informs Madras HC

N.G.R. Prasad, representing Ellan, stated that this was not a trademark dispute for SIEPL to object to and added that Samsung was not a party to the writ petition

Samsung India Electronics Private Ltd (SIEPL) informed the Madras High Court that the company lost around $100 million due to the recent strike by a section of employees led by the CPM-affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

SIEPL, represented by its advocate G. Rajagopalan, told the court that trade union registration should not be allowed within SIEPL, which was responding to a petition filed by P. Ellan, General Secretary of the CITU-affiliated Samsung India Thozhilalar Sangam.

Rajagopalan argued that the name ‘Samsung’ could not be used by trade unions, and hence union activities could not be permitted within the company.

However, N.G.R. Prasad, representing Ellan, countered that Samsung is a Korea-based multinational conglomerate and that even in South Korea, trade unions are using the name ‘Samsung.’ He further stated that this was not a trademark dispute for SIEPL to object to and added that Samsung was not a party to the writ petition. Therefore, he argued, the petition should be dismissed. Prasad also informed the court that the writ petition was solely between the trade union and the Registrar of Trade Unions and that Samsung had no direct role in this matter.

Rajagopalan, representing SIEPL, requested that the company be impleaded as a respondent in the writ petition. He also sought time to file a detailed counter affidavit. Justice Manjula of the Madras High Court granted SIEPL time until November 11 to file its counter affidavit. It is worth recalling that the workers of Samsung India, who had been agitating against the management, called off their 37-day-long strike on October 15. The strike, which commenced on September 9, was called off after multiple rounds of talks at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat, involving the state government, CITU leaders, and Samsung India management.