Surat’s diamond workers to go on ‘strike’ over professional tax on March 16

The Surat Ratnakalakar Sangh (SRS) has given a call for strike in the diamond cutting and polishing sector on March 16 to demand the abolition of professional tax charged by the Gujarat state government from diamond workers, according to a TOI report.


Diamond manufacturing unit in Surat                                                                                    Image credit: SNJ DIAM

SRS president Jaysukh Gajera said: “About 5.5 lakh workers will stay away from work on March 16 to demand the abolition of professional tax. We are appealing unit owners to support workers by keeping their units shut for a day. Workers and the industry have for long been demanding abolition of professional tax, but the state government is yet to accept this. Diamond workers are not getting enough work in the industry due to weak market conditions, and that the diamond unit owners have slashed production of polished diamonds in the last few months.”