Workers at Samsung India plant strike, partly hitting production

Hundreds of workers at a Samsung Electronics plant in southern India have begun an indefinite strike to demand higher wages, partly hitting production on Monday, a union leader told Reuters.

The strike comes after Samsung Electronics' biggest union in South Korea held a four-day strike in August demanding higher wages and bonuses after talks with management fell through.

Samsung employs under 2,000 workers at its Sriperumbudur plant near the city of Chennai which makes refrigerators and washing machines. Around half of the daily production was affected at the factory as many workers did not turn up for work, an industry source with direct knowledge said.

E. Muthukumar, who heads the Samsung India union, said many people dressed in company uniform sat outside the plant and demanded a wage hike and better working hours.

"The strike will go on," he said, without giving a time frame.

A Samsung India spokesperson said in an email the company actively engages with "workers to address any grievances they may have and comply with all laws and regulations".

Samsung will "ensure that there is no disruption to our consumers", he added.

Samsung counts India as a key growth market. Set up in 2007, the Sriperumbudur plant is one of two factories that Samsung operates in India, with the other in Noida in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh where it manufactures smartphones.

Samsung has brought in contract staff to ensure there are no large scale production disruptions ahead of a festive Indian season when electronic sales rise, the industry source said.