Surat Extends Diwali Closures Amid Slow Demand
October 13, 22
(IDEX Online) - Diamond factories are extending their Diwali breaks from 15 days to 25 days amid ongoing slow demand from the US, Europe and China.
An estimated one million workers will be forced to take 10 extra days of unpaid leave as units close from 21 October to 15 November. The closure will inevitably have an impact on the city's wider economy.
Factory closures are seen as the "least bad" option - better than laying off staff.
"Diwali holidays have been extended so that the workers do not lose jobs," Bhavesh Tank, vice president of Gujurat's Diamond Workers' Union, told Economic Times. "We are not paid during holidays. We get paid against the days we work."
General view of Surat