Asarwa fourth textile unit in city to join workers' strike

AHMEDABAD: Even as the impasse between Arvind Mills management and workers continued on Friday, workers from city-based Asarwa Mills abstained from work. After Arvind, Ankur and Ashima mills, Asarwa is the fourth textile company in the city where workers have launched the strike.
Out of the total 1,200 workers at Asarwa mill's cotton and blended yarn unit, more than 500 workers went on strike demanding higher wages.
"We support the strike at Arvind's Naroda plant and will abstain from work till management gives us 40 per cent wage hike. On the first day, 600 workers participated in the strike, but others will join us from Saturday," said Dinesh Patel, representative of Asarwa Mills' workers.
On Wednesday, Asarwa along with Ashima and Soma textile mills hiked wages of their workers and signed an agreement with labourers' representatives to maintain industrial peace. The mills gave a hike of Rs 25 and secured promises from labor representatives to maintain work in order.
Arvind and Ashima groups have already termed the on-going strike as illegal. The strike, which is now spreading like a wild fire, began with more than 3,500 workers stirring at denim maker Arvind Mills' Naroda plant. The second-day of strike at Ashima textiles' Khokara plant too got bigger with more workers joining the stir.
Ashima on Friday informed Bombay Stock Exchange that Textile Labour Association (TLA), which is a representative of the union for textile mill workers, has filed a case against Ahmedabad Textiles Mills' Association (ATMA) in the industrial court demanding higher wages for the workers represented by it. The company stated that the fact that the workers disregarded the TLA and went on a strike was illegal.
"We're talking to workers from various textiles mills including Soma Textiles and will get bigger support from workers of other mills soon. We're also going to have a meeting with ATMA members where the issues will be discussed. But we have kept TLA out of the strike as they have failed to address our issues," said representative of Arvind mill workers Yashpal Jaiswal.