Farmers join textile workers’ stir in Bathinda

Activists from the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and its allied groups joined an ongoing protest by workers at a textile unit in Jeeda village, Bathinda, and partially blocked the Bathinda-Amritsar highway. The workers have been protesting for over a week against alleged low wages and a hostile work environment, demanding a minimum monthly salary of ₹26,000 and accusing the factory management of withholding fair annual increments. The unit employs around 2,500 workers, with several residing in a hostel on the factory premises. District authorities said work at the factory continues as a section of workers stays away. Police took nearly 40 leaders into preventive custody on Monday, but all were released by the afternoon. The district administration stated that workers are being paid as per rules, and the management has offered a wage increase. About 80% of the workforce is reporting for duty, with others expressing resentment over wages. The administration is mediating negotiations to resolve the matter amicably, and the situation around the unit remains under control.