With Textile Labour Association (TLA) and Ahmedabad Textile Mills Association (ATMA) yet to reach at a consensus, striking textile workers at various mills have threatened to boycott the latter's representatives.
"The representatives of TLA appointed by us have failed to arrive at a consensus with ATMA in negotiating for our wage hike. The industrial court's decision was also deferred. We are therefore mulling about boycotting them and appoint fresh representatives," said Yashpal Jaiswal, striking worker's union leader at Arvind Ltd.'s Naroda plant.
Earlier on Tuesday, the striking workers of four textile mills have threatened to involve workers from other mills if their demands for interim relief of Rs 1,600 per month are not met by Wednesday. However, with no consensus being arrived at, the workers are now looking to appoint fresh representatives. So far, Amar Barot and Mahendra Desai were appointed as TLA representatives and office bearers to negotiate with ATMA. "We have been doing our best. We cannot initiate any negotiations until over 400 such striking workers agree to re-appoint us as their representatives which is still in process. Moreover, the textile workers cannot legally negotiate on their own without TLA," said Amar Barot, general secretary of TLA.
On Monday, pacifying the striking workers for their flat 40 per cent wage hike, TLA had assured an interim relief of Rs 1,600 per month till a decision was taken in the industrial court which is hearing TLA's case against ATMA. Further, the labourers' association had also sought the striking worker's support for re-initiating negotiations with ATMA, which represents several textile mills in the city.
However, with a decision still pending in the court, around 8,000 striking workers from four mills have demanded being re-inducted by their respective employers as well as interim relief of Rs 1,600 per month on an immediate basis. The four mills include , including Arvind, Ankur, Ashima and Asarwa.
