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Diamond cutter’s protest across Gujarat for higher wages in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, lead to the death of a worker and at least two others injured when a private security guard fired on them.

During the agitation, the protesters were throwing stones demanding higher salaries from their employers after their counterparts in Surat were given a 20 per cent pay hike by the Surat Diamond Association. During the agitation a security guard of a diamond polishing unit to open fire on the workers before arrival of the police.

“We have detained the security guard who opened fire on the diamond workers,” Bhavnagar Superintendent of Police Anupam Singh Gehlot told PTI. Later police chased the agitators away. Gehlot said that the city is peaceful now.

Workers in Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Amreli and Bhavnagar started protests on Friday. Hundreds of diamond workers in Rajkot struck work on Friday to press for a 30 per cent hike in wages. Nearly 3,000 workers engaged joined the day-long strike. They tried to shut shops in Bapunagar locality of Ahmedabad.  Police arrested them and detained eight persons for disturbing peace.

Vithal Mendpara, president of the Bhavnagar Diamond Association, told PTI companies had agreed to hike wages but workers want salaries matching the number of hours they put in.

Diamond workers in Amreli took out a rally and gave a memorandum to the district collector.

Tags: , Diamond Workers, Gujarat, Protest, Salary, Surat, Wages

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured armed forces and civil services on Civil Services Day, Monday to pay more than suggested by 6th pay panel commission.

Army and defence services were not satisfied with the recent 6th pay commission reports demanding a separate pay commission to look at their grievances. The hike in the salary of armed forces personnel recommended by the panel report was not graceful. More than 100 armed force officers resigned against the commission reports.

6th pay panel report had downgraded the army and military services. Prime Minister said that defence and army should be properly rewarded and he announced an increase in their pay.

In the wake of the criticism over the recommendations, the government last week announced the setting up of a high-level official committee headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar to process the report of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Manmohan Singh has assured the military and armed forces to be rewarded and a better pay will be given to the officers. It is the first political leadership comment on pay reports.

However Manmohan Singh expects equal return from civil service personnel saying, “I would also expect the highest standards of discipline and decorum from all civil servants”.

Tags: Army, Defence Services, PM, Salary