‘Asked For Sunday Off, Lost My Job’: 70 Detained As Surat Embroidery Workers’ Protest Turns Tense | Surat News

Last Updated:October 16, 2026, 09:53 IST

Workers in Surat allege they are losing jobs for demanding Sunday holidays. As 70 workers are detained, the four-month-old dispute over weekly leave and timely wages intensifies

SURAT: A growing labour dispute in Gujarat’s textile hub of Surat intensified on October 15 after police detained around 60 to 70 workers who were heading to the district Collector’s office to demand weekly holidays, timely wage payments and better working conditions in embroidery units.

After months of failed attempts to resolve their grievances through factory owners and labour authorities, the workers planned a peaceful satyagraha outside the Surat Collector’s office. The agitation, which started on August 16, 2026, has gained momentum across industrial hubs such as Amroli, Katargam, Sachin GIDC and Kadodara.

Naishadh Desai, president of Gujarat Pradesh INTUC and the leader of the movement, had urged around 10,000 workers from embroidery units and other industrial establishments across Surat city and district to join the protest. However, police stopped the demonstration before the detained workers could reach the Collector’s office, stating that the gathering had not received official permission.

The action has renewed scrutiny of working conditions in Surat’s textile industry, where workers have alleged that some employers deny statutory weekly holidays, require long working hours and dismiss employees who ask for leave.

Why Are Surat’s Embroidery Workers Protesting?

The movement began on August 16 amid growing dissatisfaction among workers over weekly holidays, working hours and wage-related concerns. Workers are primarily demanding a guaranteed weekly day off, particularly on Sundays, and payment of wages within the legally prescribed period.

Desai said the agitation was not intended to shut down factories or disrupt industrial activity. Instead, the union wanted workers to receive their entitlements while businesses continued operating. “We have decided to hold a peaceful satyagraha at the Collector’s Office and have called on 10,000 workers to join it. We are trying to ensure that Surat’s factories continue operating while the workers’ satyagraha also succeeds,” Desai said. He identified two principal demands: a weekly day off for workers and payment of wages between the first and seventh of every month, as required by law, according to the union’s position.

Desai alleged that workers had submitted memorandums to the authorities on three previous occasions but had not received a satisfactory response. He said the Chamber of Commerce, the Factory Inspector and the Labour Commissioner had not held discussions with the workers or taken a conciliatory approach to resolving the dispute.

The workers have also raised concerns about long shifts, alleged wage-related irregularities and the risk of losing their jobs for asking for leave. Some accounts of the agitation have described the demands as including higher wages, although Desai identified weekly holidays and timely wage payments as the union’s two main demands.

‘I Asked For A Sunday Holiday And Was Dismissed’

The dispute has had serious consequences for some workers who say they lost their jobs after raising concerns about weekly holidays. Anand Kushwaha, an embroidery worker told Dainik Bhaskar that he was dismissed from his job, alleged that his employment was terminated after he asked for a Sunday holiday. “I had only asked for a Sunday holiday at the factory, but they immediately settled my dues and dismissed me. The factory owners circulate our videos in their group so that no other employer hires us,” Kushwaha alleged.

He further claimed that workers who ask for leave are accused of instigating others and are told that leave will not be granted.

According to Kushwaha, he had been unemployed for around one and a half months when he spoke about his experience. He said several other workers had allegedly faced similar dismissals after seeking leave or raising concerns about their working conditions.

The allegations, if established, raise questions about whether workers can exercise their labour rights without facing retaliation. The claims are allegations made by workers and have not been independently established in the information available for this report.

‘I Am Supporting My Family With Borrowed Money’

The loss of employment has also placed some workers under severe financial pressure. Kushwaha said he had been borrowing small amounts from friends and relatives to meet his family’s daily expenses after losing his job. “As I have had no work for the past one and a half months, I am getting by borrowing Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 from friends and relatives to support my family. I will be able to repay their debt once I find new work,” he said.

His account highlights the financial vulnerability of workers who depend on regular wages to support their families. For those who lose their jobs after raising workplace concerns, finding alternative employment can become particularly difficult if, as Kushwaha alleged, employers share videos or information about them within industry groups.

Workers involved in the agitation have argued that they should not have to choose between securing a weekly holiday and retaining their livelihood.

Police Detain 60-70 Workers Before They Reach Collector’s Office

The planned satyagraha took a different turn on October 15 when police detained workers approaching the Surat Collector’s office. According to a report in The New Indian Express, police had deployed personnel in anticipation of the gathering. As workers assembled near the office to press their demands, officers moved in, citing the lack of official permission for the protest. Some workers reportedly managed to escape, while others were chased and detained.

More than 10 police buses and vans were deployed to transport those detained. Police also detained more than six worker leaders, including two prominent labour union representatives, before the proposed satyagraha could begin.

Surat City Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Parmar said around 60 to 70 workers had been detained approximately 100 metres from the Collector’s office. “Permission was not granted for the workers’ protest. The necessary conditions stipulated by the police for holding the event had not been met. Consequently, 60 to 70 workers were detained before they could reach the Collector’s office. Adequate security arrangements have been deployed at the Collector’s office,” Parmar said.

Police cited the lack of permission and non-fulfilment of the required conditions as the reasons for the action. The detentions prevented the planned demonstration from proceeding as intended.

The police response has added another dimension to thedispute, which workers say is about enforcing labour protections and securing a forum where their complaints can be heard.

Workers Say Their Fight Is Against An Inactive Administration

The workers have maintained that their agitation is not directed against any particular factory owner but against the failure of the administration to address their complaints and ensure that labour rules are followed. Kushwaha said written representations had been submitted personally to the Collector and the Labour Department on three occasions, but no action had been taken so far.

He warned that the agitation could intensify across Surat if the authorities did not intervene and ensure compliance with rules concerning weekly leave and wage payments.

The union has called for discussions involving workers, employers and the relevant authorities, arguing that a negotiated solution would allow industrial operations to continue without forcing workers to give up their demands.

Desai has also expressed concern that repeated memorandums have not resulted in meaningful dialogue. The union’s position is that the authorities and industry representatives must engage directly with workers instead of allowing the dispute to continue.

Why The Surat Labour Dispute Matters

Surat is one of India’s major textile and diamond centres, with a large workforce employed in embroidery, weaving and other industrial activities. The sector depends heavily on migrant workers from states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.

The current agitation has brought attention to concerns about long working hours, weekly holidays, wage payments and the treatment of employees who seek leave. Workers have alleged that some embroidery units impose shifts lasting around 12 hours and threaten or dismiss employees who raise questions about their working conditions.

The dispute also comes amid wider discussion about workers returning to their native places in search of employment, including reports of migrant labourers leaving Surat for villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

What Did Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh Say About Workers Leaving Surat?

The labour dispute has drawn added attention following Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh’s visit to Surat on October 9, when he played down concerns over workers returning to their native villages. “If a worker feels that better employment opportunities are available in their village, that choice cannot be termed an exodus,” Singh said. He pointed to employment opportunities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh under the Narendra Modi government, suggesting that workers could choose to work closer to home if they found better prospects there.

Singh also said mill owners and workers should not be viewed as adversaries. He advocated a relationship based on mutual trust and described an adversarial approach to industrial relations as a Communist way of looking at the relationship between employers and employees. “Mill owners and workers are two sides of the same coin. The ideal relationship is one in which the mill owner treats the worker as family, and the worker considers the mill owner part of the family,” he said.

The minister added that he would examine specific complaints after further discussions.

His remarks framed migration as a matter of employment choice and called for cooperation between workers and employers. However, the immediate concerns raised by the embroidery workers centre on weekly holidays, wage payments, working hours and the ability to seek leave without fear of losing employment.

The detention of workers before their planned satyagraha could begin has further highlighted the challenge of resolving the dispute through dialogue.

Will The Agitation Lead To Action On Workers’ Demands?

The Surat embroidery workers’ agitation has moved beyond individual workplace grievances to a wider demand for the enforcement of labour protections. Workers say they have repeatedly approached the authorities, while the union argues that the lack of meaningful engagement has left them with little choice but to organise a larger protest.

The central questions remain whether workers will receive a guaranteed weekly day off, whether wages will be paid within the prescribed period, and whether complaints about dismissals and working conditions will be investigated.

For Surat’s textile industry, the dispute presents a challenge of balancing production needs with workers’ rights. A resolution will depend on whether employers, labour representatives and the administration can establish a process for addressing complaints and ensuring compliance with applicable laws.

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