Morbi ceramic industry ends strike after state govt assurance

Ceramic industry in Morbi had shut down operations since November 27 as a sign of protest and have been demanding cheaper gas and reduction in excise duty and VAT

Morbi-based ceramic industry players have announced to end almost a month long (24 days) strike after state government authority has given assurance to look after all the issues the industry has very soon. Ceramic units had gone on strike from November 27.

Ceramic units of Morbi area will start working from Sunday. Thangadh based ceramic units has already started their units from Saturday.

Ceramic industries in Morbi had  shut down operations since November 27 as a sign of protest and have been demanding cheaper gas and reduction in excise duty and value-added tax (VAT). This shutdown has hit traders across the country and resulted in huge losses to the unit owners. According to the ceramic industry sources, the industry is losing about Rs  50 crore every day in strike.

“Finally, government has given assurance to us to looking our issues of gas and VAT. So, we have decided to end our strike from Sunday”, said Divyesh Patel, president of Morbi-Dhuva Glaze Tiles Association. On Friday Thangadh based ceramic units had declared to end strike and started their units after meeting with BJP leader J Kavadiya. Suresh Sompura, president of Federation of Ceramic Industries, Thangadh said “We have decided to start our units after meeting with J Kavadiya who has given us assurance to resolve all the issues.”It must be noted here that ceramic players was on symbolic hunger strike from Thursday and planned to go on indefinite hunger strike if state government did not respond. A delegation of various ceramic associations had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday.

Singh had assured them to do the needful with respect to their demand on reducing excise duty from present rate of 12.36 per cent and discouraging ceramic imports from China by re-imposing 150 per cent anti-dumping duty.