Hundreds of textile workers in Surat have renewed their demand for an eight-hour working day and a weekly holiday on Sunday, alleging that they continue to work for up to 12 hours despite earlier assurances from embroidery unit owners.
The workers gathered at the district collector’s office on Saturday after returning to work following discussions between workers and owners. They said the promised resolution had not materialised and that extended working hours continued at several units.
The protest briefly became tense after a worker alleged that police personnel were photographing protesters and threatening them. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Operations Group) Rajdeepsinh Nakum intervened and warned the protesters that an FIR could be registered if police instructions were not followed.
Since the protest was held on the second Saturday of the month, officials from the collectorate and labour department were unavailable. The workers subsequently dispersed following discussions between their representatives and police officials.
Janmabhumi Bharat Majdoor Union president Ajay Dubey submitted a memorandum to police officials. The union called for Sunday holidays, timely payment of wages by the seventh of every month and stricter enforcement of labour regulations in the textile sector.
The memorandum claimed that Surat’s textile industry employs more than 18 lakh migrant workers. It also alleged that some workers are required to work overtime without receiving benefits such as Provident Fund, Employees’ State Insurance and gratuity.
Dubey said the workers planned to approach the district collector again on a working day the following week to discuss their demands.
Worker Arvind Raj Vishwakarma said the group would begin a peaceful dharna if the demands were not addressed by September 30. He said workers were working 12-hour shifts and needed adequate rest.
However, embroidery unit owner Vishal Goti said his workers were already receiving their wages before the seventh of the month. He said the demands for an additional Sunday holiday and an eight-hour shift remained unresolved.
According to Goti, his units currently provide a weekly holiday on Thursday because of power-related issues. He argued that adding another weekly holiday on Sunday could affect production and business operations.
The latest demonstration follows a series of protests that began in August at embroidery units in Vedant Eco Park-2 in Surat’s Amroli area. The agitation later spread to industrial areas including Anjani Industries, Katargam, Sachin GIDC, Pipodara and Kadodara.
Operations were disrupted at several factories during the earlier protests. The state labour department and representatives of textile units subsequently held discussions regarding the workers’ demands.
Three FIRs were registered at Amroli police station following incidents of violence, and eight people were arrested. One FIR alleged that more than 300 factories in Amroli were forcibly shut during the protests. A separate complaint was filed after Crime Branch officer Amitkumar Dubey was injured in stone-pelting; an FIR was subsequently registered against a group of around 500 labourers.