Thousands of Surat Diamond Workers Start Strike Action
March 30, 25
(IDEX Online) - As many as 5,000 diamond workers in Surat took to the streets today (Sunday 30 March) to mark the start of an indefinite strike.
Members of the Diamond Workers Union Gujurat (DWUG) are demanding a 30 per cent pay increase from employees, together with a package from the government of other measures aimed at helping businesses workers and their families.
The union says it expects 150,000 to 200,000 workers - around a quarter of Surat's diamond workforce - to take part in the industrial action.
"We will take out a rally in Katargam area of Surat on Sunday before going on an indefinite strike if the government does not meet our demands by then," said Bhavesh Tank, vice-president of the DWUG, before today's rally.
The union is calling for factory owners to increase wages by 30 per cent, to strictly enforce labor laws, and to end arbitrary wage cuts and job terminations.
It is calling on the state government of Gujurat to establish a welfare board for diamond workers, to provide financial relief for unemployed workers, to intervene in stabilization of diamond prices, and to help small and medium diamond units fight off closure threats.
Pic of diamond workers at rally, courtesy DWUG.