Surat embroidery workers’ unions have warned of wider protests in the city as a three-month dispute with employers intensifies over working hours, weekly leave, minimum wages and implementation of labour codes. The unions have also demanded the withdrawal of police cases filed against about 250 workers during recent protests.
Tensions rose on Saturday after worker representative Ajay Dubey was detained by police while leaving his home to attend a meeting with other labour leaders at Shramjivi Sevalay. Dubey alleged that police personnel were waiting outside his residence and took him to Dindoli police station.
The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), which has held discussions with worker leaders over the past several days, called a joint meeting for Sunday to decide its strategy for future demonstrations. Union representatives said they opposed strikes, vandalism and violence, and would continue with peaceful protests centred on implementation of the labour codes.
Workers are seeking an eight-hour shift and a paid weekly off, with many demanding Sunday as the fixed holiday. They also want the wages for an eight-hour workday to match what they previously earned for a 12-hour shift. INTUC Gujarat president Naishadh Desai said the labour codes provide for minimum wages and one weekly off, although the legislation does not require every worker in a unit to take the holiday on the same day.
Some worker leaders are pressing for a common Sunday holiday. Worker representative Malkhan Verma said most workers wanted Sunday as their weekly day off and argued that any closure of units resulting from the demand would be the responsibility of the owners.
The dispute has also raised concerns about the competitiveness of Surat’s embroidery industry. Desai alleged that the Textile Embroidery Jobwork Association of Surat, or TEJAS, was convening meetings of unit owners and “instigating them against workers”. The association’s position was not included in the report.
Desai also cautioned that parts of the industry could move to states offering stronger infrastructure and incentives. He referred to subsidy and tax benefits available in other states and said several regions were actively seeking workers. He warned that if the workforce was not “handled properly”, operations could shift elsewhere. The report does not identify any company or unit that has announced a relocation.
The disagreement has continued despite worker leaders seeking intervention from the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the South Gujarat Productivity Council. Desai said the organisations had not taken action to resolve the matter, describing the prolonged dispute as harmful to the region’s trade atmosphere.
The immediate conflict places working-hour regulation, income protection and industrial relations at the centre of Surat’s textile economy. The unions’ next meeting is expected to determine whether demonstrations widen, while the demand to withdraw cases against approximately 250 workers remains unresolved. The report did not specify a government-led mediation process or a formal settlement timeline.
