Surat: Weaving unit workers in the industrial pockets of Bamroli in Pandesara and Bhestan went on strike on Wednesday, demanding a hike in wage rates, forcing the shutdown of around 1,500 units across these areas.Workers across several industrial estates in Pandesara and Bhestan halted operations after wage negotiations failed to reach a settlement over the past two to three days. With no breakthrough in talks, weaving unit owners were compelled to suspend production.Industry sources said a small weaving unit typically employs eight to ten workers. Based on this, nearly 15,000 workers from these industrial belts are estimated to have participated in the strike.With production at a standstill, attention has now shifted to negotiations between weaving unit owners and worker representatives. Until a consensus is reached, operations in the affected units are likely to remain suspended.The strike follows a series of flash protests in recent months. Earlier, a sudden strike in Bamroli had disrupted operations in hundreds of weaving units. Post-Diwali, workers in parts of Surat district had also gone on a flash strike, during which death-threat posters in Oriya were pasted in the Sayan and Pipodra industrial areas.
