Diamond workers plan strike to demand abolition of professional tax

SURAT: Surat Ratnakalakar Sangh (SRS) has threatened a two-day strike in the diamond industry to demand abolition of professional tax collected by the state government from diamond workers.
SRS president Jaisukh Gajera told TOI, “An urgent meeting of representatives of diamond workers’ community and office-bearers of SRS has been convened on Friday to take the decision on announcing a two-day strike in the industry over professional tax issue.”
Gajera added, “On February 10, we met deputy chief minister Nitin Patel in Gandhinagar and demanded abolition of professional tax for diamond workers.The minister informed us that the labour department falls under the jurisdiction of chief minister. There has been no favourable reply from the state government so far. Diamond workers earn on piece meal basis and yet they have to pay professional tax to the state government. Majority of workers are employed in small and medium diamond units and earn less than Rs15,000 per month.”
Gajera said Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) collects professional tax on behalf of the state government. The yearly collection of professional tax from the diamond industry has been pegged at Rs150 crore.