Over 100 striking Samsung workers held by India police

The police on Sept 16 detained 104 workers protesting against low wages at a Samsung Electronics plant in southern India as they were planning a protest march without permission, with the dispute disrupting output at the key factory for the past week.

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The Samsung protests have cast a shadow on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan of courting foreign investors to "Make in India" and tripling electronics production to US$500 billion (S$648 billion) in six years.

Lured by cheap labour, foreign companies are using India for manufacturing to diversify their supply chain beyond China.

On Sept 16, the workers planned to start a protest march, but were detained as no permission was given since there are schools, colleges and hospitals in that area, senior police officer of Kancheepuram district K. Shanmugam said.

"It is the main area, which would become totally paralysed and (the protest would) disturb public peace," he said. "We have detained them in wedding halls, as all of them can't be in stations."