Samsung workers' protest completes a month today with no end in sight the Tamil Nadu Police have been cracking down on protestors and the Left-affiliated trade unions

As the Samsung workers' protest completes a month today, with no end in sight, the Tamil Nadu Police have been cracking down on protestors and the Left-affiliated trade unions backing them. Member of Parliament from Madurai, 

S. Venkatesan, who represents the Left party CPI(M), had condemned the Police action against the protestors.

While the Left parties are in an alliance with Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, Left leaders and other DMK-allies have been vocal in support of the protesting Samsung workers.

Demanding better wages, better facilities at work, improved work-life balance, and recognition of their Samsung India Workers Union(SIWU), hundreds of workers from the South Korean giant's electronics assembly facility near Chennai, have been protesting since September 9th.

The facility is known to churn out Televisions, Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, and is a significant one for Samsung, which is the market leader in the Indian consumer electronics segment.

"The police brutality against the workers who are fighting in a democratic way against trade union rights is highly condemnable.

It is unacceptable that the guardians of the law become the guardians of Samsung" S. Venkatesan said in a social media post.

Over the last four weeks, the protestors and their backers from the Left-affiliated CITU(Centre of Indian Trade Unions) had been camping at a makeshift tent erected a short walk away from the Samsung facility in Sriperumbudur, an industrial hub near Chennai city.

After the Police crackdown and the arrests in the intervening hours of Tuesday and Wednesday, the police are said to have removed the tent, in a bid to dissuade the protestors.

However, videos shared by Left-affiliated members showed a few workers continuing their agitation at the site.

The ongoing protests had earlier prompted the Indian Labour Minister to write to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, urging his intervention in resolving the issue.

This week, the Tamil Nadu Government held talks to help resolve the issue.

According to Tamil Nadu's Industries Minister TRB Raaja,the recognition of the Samsung India Workers Union(SIWU) is the only demand that remains unmet by the Samsung management, as there is an ongoing Court case in that regard.

It is due to the non-recognition of the SIWU that the protests are said to be continuing.

The ongoing protests are taking place at a time when Tamil Nadu has been attracting significant investments in the electronics assembly, electronic component manufacturing sector.