Chennai, Oct 7 (Reporter) In a bid to end the early four-week long strike by the workers of Korean major Samsung India manufacturing facility here, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday night announced that a MoU was signed with the management and the staff to resolve the issues and appealed to the workers to return to work, while the CITU, which is seeking recognition for the employees Union has refuted it. After a more than six hour long tripartite talks held by three Ministers on the advice of Chief Minister MK Stalin, an MoU was signed agreeing to 14 demands by the Management. The employees were demanding among other things, hike in wages, bonus and recognition to CITU-affiliated Trade Union. An official release said this Memorandum of Agreement (“MoA”) is entered into on October 7, 2024, by and between Samsung India Electronics Private Limited, Chennai Plant (hereinafter referred to as and Samsung Chennai, represented by its Managing Director Mr. Yoon Sung-hyun), and Workmen who collectively represented the employees. As per the agreement inked, Samsung Chennai and its Representative of Workmen will collaborate to mitigate the difficulties faced by workmen and enhance the Company's competitiveness by resolving the ongoing illegal strike which had commenced on September 9, 2024. Samsung Chennai will prioritize the implementation of the following measures to improve the working environment for the welfare of its workmen, and continuously consult with the workmen committee to solve the issue. It said the Company shall, in consultation with workmen committee, implement measures to enhance the competitiveness of wages. As an immediate measure and recognising the current financial situation, the Company will provide an interim special incentive by the name of Productivity Stabilization Incentive equivalent to Rs 5,000 per month, effective from October 2024 up to March 2025. The modalities of the payment will be finalised in consultation with the workmen committee. This special incentive shall be considered with the annual increment in wages for the FY 2025-26, that will be finalised in consultation with workmen committee during the wage negotiations. The operation of air conditioned buses will be expanded by next year from only 5 routes currently to all 108 routes. The company will increase the number of workmen family invitation events in a year from 4 to 6 times a year. At each event, a gift worth around Rs 2,000 will be given to each family that participates at an event. In the unfortunate event of the death of an employee while in service, the Company shall provide an additional immediate assistance of Rs 1,00,000 to the family to take care of their immediate needs. The Company will open a new medical room in the compressor building and will diversify the cafeteria menu, increase meal allowances, upgrade break rooms and restrooms in the manufacturing building. Further, old lockers in the production line will be replaced. Recognising the need to walk between buildings, the Company will install canopies between buildings. The Company will also enhance the number the vacations that can be availed by the workmen that included introduction of three days marriage leave for employees, increasing the Paternity leave for the birth of the first and second child from three to five days, and further changes in the number of vacations to be done in consultation with the committee. In case of the joyous occasion of birth of a child, the Company will give a gift card of Rs 2,000 to the workman. The Company will also launch the "People First Promise", which aims to continuously improve the working environment and infrastructure by listening to feedback from the workmen committee and will operate a channel for collecting workmens' voices (VoC) and actively improve it. The Company and the workmen committee will identify additional matters apart from the clauses above, and discuss further improvements in the working conditions. Both Parties will strive towards implementation of the measures to be undertaken in this regard in an expeditious manner. The Representative of Workmen requests the Company regarding personnel returning from the illegal strike that the Company will support the returnees for a smooth return to work by providing training and other programmes for a certain period of time, and the returnees shall actively participate in these programmes. The Company will positively consider the request, the release said. However, the CITU said no pact was reached in the talks and that the strike will continue till the demand for CITU-recognised Union was accepted for the welfare of the workers...////...