Police detain Surat factory workers protesting for wage hikes, weekly offs

The Gujarat Police on Thursday detained around 70 factory workers of embroidery units in Surat who had staged a protest to demand weekly holidays and higher wages, The New Indian Express reported.

The workers were detained from outside the collector’s office. The police said that they did not have permission to hold the protest.

In Surat dozens of workers were detained by local police before they could start their protest demanding Sunday off, 8 hours shift, better pay, among others. They also alleged their senior leaders were arrested to suppress their agitation "Gaon Chalo Andolan" @DeccanHerald pic.twitter.com/bOEEEnzubi— satish jha. (@satishjha) October 15, 2026

Migrant workers in Surat have been protesting against alleged 12-hour shifts, the denial of statutory weekly holidays and dismissals for seeking leave, the newspaper reported.

The protests began on August 15 as part of a campaign called Gaon Chalo Abhiyan or Go to the Village Campaign, Down to Earth reported.

Surat, one of India’s major textile manufacturing hubs, employs large numbers of migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and other states.

Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh visited Surat on October 9 and urged workers and employers to “resolve the issue like a family”.

“Employers and workers are two sides of the same coin,” Down to Earth quoted him as saying.

Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.
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