Textile workers in Surat fight for 8-hour workdays and a weekly off

“I won’t come back now, my friend…” This line from a video recorded at Surat’s Udhna Railway Station in April 2020 became a symbol of the anguish millions of migrant workers faced. More than six years later, Surat is once again in the spotlight because of a workers’ agitation.

In Surat, one of the country’s major textile and embroidery hubs, workers are protesting to demand an 8-hour workday, a weekly paid holiday, and adherence to labour laws. Unions say these are not new demands but rights already granted by law, and claim that a large number of workers are still forced to work 12-hour shifts.

The agitation began on August 16 at embroidery units in Amroli and gradually spread to other industrial areas of the city. The Labour Department held several rounds of meetings with worker unions and industry representatives, but these did not resolve the dispute.

Industry representatives argue that implementing the workers’ demands in their entirety would increase production costs and adversely affect business.

In the last week of September, Surat’s Deputy Labour Commissioner directed industry associations to comply with the new labour laws. Worker unions, however, say no significant change has been observed on the ground.

Tensions also flared in Amroli during the agitation. Following allegations of stone-pelting and the forced closure of factories, the police registered three FIRs and arrested eight people. Cases were filed against approximately 500 people under various sections of the law.

Nearly two months into the agitation, workers say their struggle is not merely about working hours or leave, but about a dignified life and better working conditions.

Watch this report.

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