Surat: The dispute between embroidery unit workers and unit owners continues to escalate, with neither side willing to concede ground. Around 50 workers staged a dharna near Mini Bazaar in Varachha after three embroidery units in Kapoor Wadi fired them amid demands for a paid weekly day off and eight-hour shifts.The workers said they were being forced out for seeking a shorter shift and one paid weekly holiday without a reduction in their monthly salaries, which they earned while working 12-hour shifts.“We were told to leave if we wanted a paid weekly holiday. We then collected our salaries and quit. The workers who left their jobs are scheduled to travel by train to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow,” one of the workers said.Some workers claimed that they had been employed at the same embroidery units for nearly a decade but were removed after demanding what they considered their rightful benefits. They also indicated that, under the prevailing circumstances, they might not return to Surat after the festive season.Embroidery unit owners, however, have disputed the workers’ claims, alleging that outsiders are attempting to provoke employees and spreading misleading information about labour codes.“If workers want an eight-hour shift and one day off a week, their salaries will have to be reduced. If they are unwilling to accept a salary reduction, we have no option but to ask them to leave,” an embroidery unit owner said.The owners further claimed that certain individuals were attempting to disrupt the functioning of units where workers were continuing under the existing terms and conditions without raising objections. According to them, these individuals were approaching workers while they were on the job and urging them to demand a paid weekly holiday.Despite multiple rounds of discussions, meetings in the presence of govt officials and social media campaigns by both sides, the dispute remains unresolved. With workers and unit owners holding firm to their respective positions, the possibility of an immediate compromise appears increasingly uncertain.
