Diamond Union Demands Benefits for Workers
December 13, 23
(IDEX Online) - The Diamond Worker Union Gujarat (DWUG) claims over half the state's 2.5m diamond workers are being denied minimum wage benefits guaranteed by labor laws.
It is threatening a major protest unless its demands are met before Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opens the new Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) on Sunday 17 December.
The DWUG claims wages have been cut by as much as 50 per cent during the current downturn.
It is demanding an economic package for jobless diamond artisans, training opportunities, the end of professional tax for diamond workers and financial help for the families of those who have committed suicide.
The union says the war in Ukraine has cost the industry many jobs, and that G7 sanctions, to be introduced on 1 January 2024, will only make things worse.
The $355m SDB (pictured) opened last month. It has officially been recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest office building in existence (7.1m sq. ft of floor space), eclipsing The Pentagon, HQ of the US Defense Department.