Surat’s textile embroidery unit owners have said they are ready to implement the labour codes in full as workers continue protesting for eight-hour shifts and a paid weekly off, bringing working conditions and wage deductions to the centre of an escalating dispute in the city’s industrial economy.
Around 20,000 owners of textile embroidery units gathered on Saturday at Saniya Hemad on the outskirts of Surat. The meeting was organised by the Textile Embroidery Jobwork Association of Surat (TEJAS) and held under heightened security as the association sought to demonstrate unity during the workers’ protest.
TEJAS representatives said unit owners were prepared to accept the demands for an eight-hour shift and a paid weekly off, but insisted that workers should accept the labour framework in its entirety rather than select individual provisions. The association said the dispute had intensified because employers believed workers were seeking specific benefits while rejecting other clauses.
“We are ready to accept eight hours shift and a paid weekly off as demanded, but in that case we will deduct costs of damage to material from their salary. We were not deducting this earlier,” Karunesh Ranpariya, former president of TEJAS, said, according to the report.
Ranpariya also alleged that some union leaders were provoking workers without explaining the complete set of labour codes. “The workers cannot be selective in adopting specific clauses and refusing to accept others,” he said. The comments indicate that any settlement may have to address not only shift length and weekly rest, but also employer concerns over accountability for damage to production materials and how related costs could be recovered from wages.
The dispute has drawn the attention of the labour department and police. Officials from both departments met TEJAS leaders on Friday and Saturday to understand the association’s position and explore ways to resolve the issue. More than 50 police personnel, including inspectors and sub-inspectors, were deployed at the meeting venue to prevent disturbances and maintain order.
The association also announced welfare measures for its members and the workforce connected to the embroidery sector. TEJAS said it would begin a donation drive to provide immediate financial assistance to a member’s family after a sudden death, with each member contributing a small amount. It also announced plans to fund higher education for either a worker or a TEJAS member, with the assistance amount to be determined according to the level of study.
The next stage of the dispute will depend on discussions between workers, unit owners and government officials over the implementation of working-hour and weekly-off provisions, as well as the other labour-code clauses cited by TEJAS. The labour department and police have so far held meetings with the association as efforts continue to resolve the protest.
