Surat: The textile processors in Surat, who are caught in the middle of these three problems, including unbearable price hike in coal, sharp price hike in raw materials like chemicals, dyes, colors, etc., and severe shortage of workers, decided in the meeting of South Gujarat Textile Processors Association (SGTPA) that two-day weekly shutdown should be implemented immediately.
Textile Mill owners and processing units will be able to keep their units and mills closed on days when there is a staggering power supply and at their convenience.
Giving information about the decisions taken in the meeting of South Gujarat Textile Processors Association President Jitendra Vakharia, Kamal Tulsiyan and other leaders said that the price of coal used as the main fuel in textile processing mills has increased unbearably for the last two months. The price of coal has increased immensely due to supply curtailment from Indonesia. The war in West Asia started and due to this the price of petroleum products including chemicals, colors, dyes has also increased and despite paying the price increase, the goods cannot be obtained in sufficient quantities. Due to short supply, the work in many mills has started to be severely affected.
To provide relief to the operators of processing units and dyeing and printing mills from both these problems, the South Gujarat Textile Processors Association had thought of an alternative way. Efforts were made to get lignite from the Gujarat government instead of coal, but the situation did not seem to change.
Jitendra Vakharia said that there were two problems, and the problem of labor shortage has worsened. Labor working in the mills is not getting cylinder supply and migrant workers are returning home every day. Thus, due to three major problems, in the meeting held today, a decision has been taken for all the 400 small and large dyeing and printing mills and processing units of Surat city to keep the mills closed for two days a week. Mill owners will be able to close mills and cut production as per their wish. Production cuts of two days a week will continue in mills until further notice.
Ashok Jirawala, president of Fogwa, the largest weaving industry association in Surat, said that yarn prices have increased due to the war going on in West Asia for the last 24 days and in such a situation the cost price of cloth has increased for weaving industrialists. In such a situation, a sense is being obtained from the industrialists as to how the industry should move forward and what kind of steps can be taken.
