Surat’s embroidery laborers are set to ramp up a protest that has lasted three months, focusing on work hours, pay and weekly days off, according to a Monday report by The New Indian Express, which quoted labor leader Shaan Khan as saying the union will soon declare its next stage of action.
Khan is said to have called on employees throughout Gujarat’s textile centre to stay ready for new mobilizations, adding that the protest will persist until their requests are met. No further specifics have been released by the union.
Wage structure at the centre of the dispute
The conflict between employees and owners revolves around the impact of reduced hours and weekly days off on pay. Down To Earth reported that the Textile Embroidery Jobwork Association of Surat (TEJAS) suggested a monthly salary of ₹14,300 for an eight-hour schedule and ₹35,000 for a twelve-hour schedule after talks held on October 10 and 11.
Laborers have rejected the suggested plan, demanding shorter hours while keeping their earnings unchanged. The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) says that moving to eight-hour shifts throughout embroidery factories would need a large rise in staffing. In September, SGCCI chief Ashok Jirawala informed The Indian Express that the industry would require roughly 500,000 extra workers to adopt the suggested schedule.
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Police detentions intensify the situation
The protest intensified on October 15, as Surat police arrested approximately 60 to 70 laborers en route to the district collector’s office to demonstrate over work conditions and to call for better pay and weekly holidays.
Surat City Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Parmar told The New Indian Express that authorities held the workers because the demonstration lacked official permission and failed to satisfy stipulated conditions.
Union alleges dismissals
Khan informed The New Indian Express that the union had obtained early reports indicating that certain participants in the protest had been terminated. He noted that the union has not yet gathered proof confirming a connection between the dismissals and protest involvement, and that the issue is under investigation.
