Chennai: Labour unrest at Samsung’s plant near Chennai intensified on Thursday, as a district court heard the company’s petition against the protesting workers. The workers’ union is also considering legal action against the South Korean electronics giant.

Samsung filed for a temporary injunction on September 12 to stop protests within a 500-meter radius of its Kancheepuram plant. Labour department officials fear the protests could spread to other electronics manufacturing units in the region if the state government doesn’t intervene, similar to its handling of a Foxconn strike two years ago.

J Prathaban, the workers’ union advocate, said the protest is already taking place at a distance from the plant, and there’s no violation. The court urged the company to hold conciliatory talks with the union and is expected to issue a ruling on Friday.

The strike, which began on September 9 under the Samsung India Employees Union, has had minimal impact on production, according to company sources. The union is also considering legal action to push for official registration, as Samsung has objected to the use of its name in the union’s title.

In a show of support, various labour unions held solidarity protests, while BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan criticized the DMK government, claiming that the involvement of Communists in the administration is hostile to industries in Tamil Nadu.