Congress bats for diamond workers

Congress has sought safeguard measures for the diamond-cutting units and their workers, saying that "in the last 18 months, at least 71 diamond workers have taken their lives in Surat", and some 15,000 workers have been hit by layoffs this year, mainly because of the growing demand for lab-grown diamonds.

Seeking protection "from the vagaries of the market", Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said, "The advent of lab-grown diamonds has wreaked havoc on diamond industries across the world. Surat has been hard hit, with large-scale layoffs (up to 15,000 workers between February and June 2024 alone) and pay cuts."

Gujarat's diamond industry employs an estimated 25 lakh workers, of which 8-10 lakh are employed in Surat alone. "It has spawned acute financial and psychological distress among the workers in this industry," Jairam Ramesh said.