Police lathicharged protesting diamond workers trying to enforce bandh at Kumudvadi area in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on July 15, 2010. The workers were forcing diamond units to down shutters as part of the bandh, when the police attacked them.
Police lathicharged protesting diamond workers trying to enforce bandh at Kumudvadi area in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on July 15, 2010. The workers were forcing diamond units to down shutters as part of the bandh, when the police attacked them.
Diamond workers across Gujarat have been demanding a rise in daily wage from the owners of diamond units. The present agitation was launched after the unit owners in Bhavnagar rejected the workers' demand. Surat diamond industry agreed to the demand but Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar unit owners refused the hike. It may be noted that workers in the diamond industry have suffered enormously through wage cuts and job losses in the past two years, as part of the consequences of the world wide recession.
Earlier, on July 14, diamond polishers of Bapunagar area staged a protest against their employers after polishing unit owners refused to increase their salaries.
"If our demands are not met, we will continue the strike," said one of the polishers who was a part of the protest.