Sacked workers of Arvind Ltd begin agitation

AHMEDABAD: Thirty four workers of Arvind Ltd and group subsidiary Ankur Mills who were sacked in 2012 for allegedly trigerring a near month-long strike in June, have begun an agitation seeking reinstatement.

Near 8000 workers of the Ahmedabad textile industry involved in making near 40% of India’s denim fabric hit the streets in June 2012 seeking 40% wage hike. Drawing an average wages of Rs 5000, a wage revision negotiated between the Ahmedabad Textile Mills’ Association and the Textile Labour Association (TLA) hiked it by Rs 1935. Presently, the average wage of the industry is Rs 7000.

While the company had shortlisted workers from Arvind Ltd’s Naroda plant and Ankur Mills who were part of the agitaion, the 34 were axed after departmental inquiry. Rendered jobless since a year now, the workers seek that the company reinstates them.

“We were not the ones to instigate others. We were fighting for our rights. But we got a paltry wage hike and got sacked,” said the agitating workers sitting on dharna at the Textile Labour Association office in the city.