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Embroidery workers in Surat protest for wage and shift demands

Surat, Gujarat, India · since Jul 20, 2026

Is it still on?

NONo new reports since Oct 20.

Last report · checked

The Tea in three lines

Why they are protesting
Embroidery workers are protesting over long working hours, lack of weekly holidays, and wages.
What they want
Workers want eight-hour shifts, paid weekly holidays, minimum wages, overtime pay, and no reduction in earnings.
What changed
Oct 20: Labour leader Shaan Khan announced that the union will soon reveal the next phase of its ongoing agitation.
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Both sides

What protesters want

  • Eight-hour shifts
  • Paid weekly holiday
  • Minimum wages
  • Overtime payments
  • Earnings for eight hours comparable to twelve hours

Organised by: Textile Embroidery Jobwork Association of Surat, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry

What authorities say

Surat City Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Parmar stated that workers marching to the district collector's office were detained because they had not secured the necessary permissions for the gathering.12

The numbers

Only figures a source states, with who said it. Estimates often differ.

Arrests / detentions
60
Surat police detained around 60–70 workers who were heading towards the district collector’s office12

The full story

Embroidery workers in Surat, Gujarat, are continuing a three-month-long agitation over working hours, wages, and weekly holidays. Workers report facing 12 to 14-hour daily shifts without adequate rest or fair compensation. Their demands include an eight-hour shift that maintains earnings comparable to current 12-hour shifts, paid weekly holidays, minimum wages, and overtime payments. Negotiations have stalled after workers rejected a monthly wage proposal from the Textile Embroidery Jobwork Association of Surat (TEJAS). Meanwhile, the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) stated that implementing eight-hour shifts would require half a million additional workers. The protests saw heightened tensions on October 15 when police detained between 60 and 70 workers marching toward the district collector's office. Labour representatives have also reported preliminary concerns that participating workers may be facing job dismissals.

Timeline

  1. Labour leader Shaan Khan announced that the union will soon disclose its next phase of mobilization.12

  2. Surat police detained between 60 and 70 workers attempting to march to the district collector's office.12

  3. Talks between TEJAS and workers occurred, followed by a proposed monthly wage of ₹14,300 for eight hours.12

Pins sit on city centres, never on gathering points

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