Samsung Sues Indian Union Over Strike that Disrupted Output

The logo of Samsung is seen on a building during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 25, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
The logo of Samsung is seen on a building during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 25, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
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Samsung Sues Indian Union Over Strike that Disrupted Output

The logo of Samsung is seen on a building during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 25, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman
The logo of Samsung is seen on a building during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 25, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Samsung Electronics' Indian unit has sued members of a labour union that has led a strike for 11 days at its only India home appliances plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, escalating tensions with its workers, legal papers show.

Samsung's lawsuit dated Sept. 12, which Reuters is first to report, asks a district court in the state for a temporary injunction to restrain the union and its members from agitating, sloganeering and making speeches in and around the factory located near Chennai.

Lawyers were gathered in a court, near Chennai, in Kancheepuram district, where the case was expected to to be heard on Thursday.

Hundreds of Samsung workers have since Sept. 9 disrupted work and protested in a nearby makeshift tent, demanding higher wages and recognition of a union at the plant that contributes roughly a third of Samsung's annual India revenue of $12 billion.

The Samsung protests have cast a shadow over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to court foreign investors to "Make in India" and tripling electronics production to $500 billion in six years.

Samsung's 14-page court filing, which is not public, said the union's actions "could disrupt the factory's operations and prevent willing employees from fulfilling their duties".

Such activities "are likely to escalate, endangering the smooth functioning of the factory and the safety of its employees," Samsung said.

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment. Last week, it told Reuters in a statement it had initiated discussions with workers at the plant "to resolve all issues at the earliest".



Google Tests Verified Check Marks in Search Results

A logo of Google is seen on the wall during the groundbreaking ceremony for Malaysia's first Google data center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 01 October 2024. (EPA)
A logo of Google is seen on the wall during the groundbreaking ceremony for Malaysia's first Google data center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 01 October 2024. (EPA)
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Google Tests Verified Check Marks in Search Results

A logo of Google is seen on the wall during the groundbreaking ceremony for Malaysia's first Google data center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 01 October 2024. (EPA)
A logo of Google is seen on the wall during the groundbreaking ceremony for Malaysia's first Google data center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 01 October 2024. (EPA)

Alphabet's Google is testing showing check marks next to certain companies on its search results, a company spokesperson said on Friday, in a move aimed at helping users identify verified sources and steer clear of fake websites.

Fraudulent websites impersonating official businesses or services could creep up in online search results, leading users to view false information about the business, deceiving users and potentially harming the brand.

"We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google," the spokesperson said.

Google already uses automated systems to identify pages with "scammy" or fraudulent content and prevent them from showing up in the search results.

The Verge reported the development earlier on Friday, adding that it spotted blue verified checkmarks next to official site links for companies including Microsoft, Meta and Apple on search results.

Only some users were able to see the feature, the Verge said, indicating Google has not rolled out the test widely yet.