Migrant embroidery workers in Surat, Gujarat, are demanding eight-hour shifts and weekly holidays under the 'Gaon Chalo' campaign, threatening to return to their villages if their demands are not met.
The movement began in August 2026, with strikes and protests followed by negotiations between workers, factory owners and the Labour Department.
Industry association TEJAS has reportedly offered Rs 14,300 per month for eight-hour shifts and Rs 35,000 for 12-hour shifts, intensifying disagreements over wages and working conditions.
Workers' representatives allege that 300-400 employees were dismissed during the protests, while labour leader Ajay Dubey was arrested in a case police say is unrelated to the agitation.
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh has denied reports of a mass exodus and urged workers and employers to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Migrant embroidery workers in Surat, one of India's largest textile manufacturing centres, are demanding eight-hour shifts and weekly holidays as part of a protest campaign called ‘Gaon Chalo Abhiyan’ (Go to the Village Campaign).
Workers have threatened to leave their jobs and return to their home states unless factory owners agree to their demands.
The movement, which began in August, has led to strikes, negotiations with factory owners and allegations of dismissals. Workers also announced plans to protest outside the Surat district collector's office on October 15, 2026.
Surat, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, is a major centre for textile manufacturing and diamond cutting. Its industries depend heavily on migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and other states.
Labour organisations estimate that between 2.5 million and three million migrant workers live and work in Surat district.
Embroidery workers, many of whom operate specialised machinery, say they earn between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 a month but often work long hours without weekly holidays.
Protests began in August
According to local media reports, the movement began on August 16, when thousands of embroidery workers went on strike.
Clashes were reported at some industrial units, leading to the arrest of eight people.
Between August 18 and 21, the Labour Department held discussions with about 400 factory owners in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
The employers reportedly agreed to provide weekly holidays but refused to accept the demand for eight-hour shifts.
Workers staged another protest outside the district collector's office on 12 September.
On 29 September, the Deputy Labour Commissioner wrote to the Textile Embroidery Job Work Association of Surat (TEJAS) and the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, directing them to comply with four central and state labour laws.
However, disagreements over working hours and wages continued.
Factory owners offer shorter shifts at lower wages
Following meetings on October 10 and 11, TEJAS said its members were prepared to offer eight-hour shifts and weekly holidays, but at a monthly wage of Rs 14,300.
The association also proposed paying Rs 35,000 a month to workers willing to work 12-hour shifts.
It said workers on the longer shifts would be eligible for financial assistance towards their children's higher education.
However, the association also proposed restrictions for employees choosing eight-hour shifts and weekly holidays.
According to the workers' account of the proposal, such employees would face a penalty equivalent to 50 per cent of the value of goods damaged during production and would not be allowed to carry mobile phones inside factories.
TEJAS is reported to represent about 40,000 embroidery unit owners in Surat.
The proposed wage structure has become a central point of disagreement between workers and employers.
‘We are skilled workers,’ says union leader
Malkhan Singh Verma, president of the Sarvajanik Mazdoor Ekta Union in Surat, said embroidery workers deserved wages that reflected their skills and contribution to factory production.
“We are not bricklayers. We are skilled workers. When we earn Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 a day for our employers, we should also receive Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 a day,” he said.
Verma said weekly holidays were equally important because workers needed time for personal responsibilities and family life.
“One day off a week is also important because we need time to wash clothes, spend time with family and meet friends. We are firm on our demand and will protest again on October 15,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that some workers were willing to continue working 12-hour shifts if employers guaranteed them one day off every week.
This suggests that while the demand for shorter working hours remains central to the movement, workers have differing priorities over wages and weekly rest.
Union alleges workers were dismissed during protests
Verma accused the police, administration and government officials of failing to support the workers.
He alleged that between 300 and 400 employees had been dismissed during the protests.
According to Verma, photographs of some dismissed workers were circulated on social media to discourage other factories from employing them.
He also claimed that several workers had faced police cases during the agitation.
Verma alleged that labour leader Ajay Dubey, who helped launch the Gaon Chalo campaign, had been jailed on false charges.
Social activist and Congress leader Aslam Cyclewala similarly alleged that Dubey's arrest was intended to suppress the workers' movement.
However, police rejected the allegation.
NV Bharwad, an inspector at Khatodara police station, said Dubey had been arrested in connection with allegations of verbally abusing a factory owner and demanding money from him.
The arrest was unrelated to the workers' protest, Bharwad said.
Cyclewala said dissatisfaction over working conditions had been growing for some time, with workers complaining about excessive hours and the lack of weekly holidays.
Union minister denies mass exodus of workers
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh visited Surat on October 9 and 10 and met industry representatives amid the dispute.
Verma criticised the minister for meeting factory owners without hearing workers' grievances.
“Most of the workers come from his state, Bihar,” Verma said.
Asked by reporters about the dispute, Singh called on workers and employers to resolve their differences through dialogue.
“Employers and workers are two sides of the same coin. Resolve this issue like a family,” he said.
He also alleged that some political groups were attempting to create unrest in Surat.
“Some political elements are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Surat. As for the mass exodus, there is nothing of the sort,” Singh said.
The minister did not explicitly address whether workers should be guaranteed eight-hour shifts and weekly holidays.
His comments came amid competing claims about the scale of the movement and the number of workers leaving the city.
Gujarat’s 12-hour workday law comes under scrutiny
The dispute has renewed debate over the Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, passed by the state legislature in September 2025.
The legislation included provisions allowing daily working hours to be extended to 12 hours, subject to certain conditions.
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party opposed the bill.
At the time, Congress legislator Jignesh Mevani warned that extending working hours could expose workers to exploitation.
He argued that the eight-hour working day was an important protection for workers and expressed concern that employers could misuse the proposed changes.