NEW DELHI, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least 150 striking workers of Samsung Electronics were detained Monday by police in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials said.
The workers were detained in Kancheepuram district, about 72 km west of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
Local media reports quoting a striking worker said the detained included the president of the Samsung India Workers Union, E Muthu Kumar.
According to officials, authorities had denied permission for the march to the workers.
The workers were protesting low wages and have boycotted work for a week. They have been protesting at a makeshift tent near the plant in Sunguvarchatram, demanding higher wages, better working hours and recognition for a union backed by an influential labor group the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
Monday marked the eighth straight day of the strike.
Police said the workers have been detained in wedding halls.
Reports said the ongoing strike has badly hit production at the company, which manufactures various consumer durables, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Workers said this was the first strike in the history of the 16-year-old plant.
"For 16 years, these workers have been without a registered union, but the management's attitude, prudishness, abusive practices, and workload have prompted the workers to form a union," reads a strike notice.
Talks between Samsung officials, protesting workers as well as local government officials have so far not yielded any results. Reports said the South Korean company is not comfortable recognizing the workers' union.
Reports said the Samsung plant in Tamil Nadu employs over 1,700 workers and more than 1,000 of them have been on strike.
However, the strike has not impacted another Samsung plant that manufactures smartphones in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. ■
