Worker's stir intensifies at Asarwa Mills, production loss 80%

With workers from all shifts joining strike, Asarwa Mills witnessed over 80 per cent production loss as on Saturday. The total workers striking from work is estimated to be over 800 at the textile mill.

Earlier, just a day after workers called for strike at Ashima's textile plant, over 600 workers at Asarwa Mills also abstained from work on Friday. In last one week, workers from three textile mills in Ahmedabad called for strike, all demanding 40 per cent wage hikes from their respective employers.

"We had called for strike on Friday, joining workers of other textile mills in strike and had demanded a flat 40 per cent hike in our wages. However, by now almost all workers have joined us, thereby impacting over 80 per cent of production," said Dinesh Patel, leader of the striking workers at Asarwa Mills which manufactures cotton and man-made fibre yarn at its plant in the Asarwa are of Ahmedabad.

Officials at Asarwa Mills were unavailable for comment.

On Thursday, as many as 1,500 workers abstained from work in the first and second shift at Ashima's textiles plant in Khokhra area in Ahmedabad.

Subsequently on Friday, workers at Asarwa refused to join work in both first and second shifts. While company officials were unavailable for comment, Patel added that the workers will go on an indefinite strike till their demands are met. 

What's more, strikes at Ashima and Asarwa come at a time when other major mills under Ahmedabad Textiles Mills' Association (ATMA) including Ashima, Soma Mills, and Asarwa Mills signed an agreement for interim relief of Rs 650 per month for their workers till the dispute between ATMA and Textile Labour Association (TLA) in a labour court is resolved.

"None of our representatives had signed such an agreement. It was the TLA which had signed it on our behalf and tried to convince us regarding the same. However, we will not claim the interim relief of Rs 650 per month and have demanded a flat 40 per cent hike in wages with immediate effect," Patel added.

In all, 1,200-1,400 workers are employed at Asarwa Mills' spinning and weaving plant in Ahmedabad

Earlier this month, workers at Arvind Ltd's denim manufacturing plant at Naroda had called for a strike demanding 40 per cent increase in wages. Also, on Monday, workers at Arvind's voiles division Ankur Textiles Ltd also called on a strike. It may be mentioned here that in February this year, workers at textiles major, Reliance Industries Ltd's Naroda plant in Ahmedabad had called strike demanding 60 per cent wage hike. However, the workers had called off their strike after about a month-long strike.