Diamond jobs go abegging

A majority of the diamond workers in the state share their feelings with Karsan, the protagonist of a Gujarati feature film Have Mare Heera Nathi Ghasava (I don’t want to polish diamonds anymore), because of an uncertain future, rate cuts and delay in salary payment. The industry laid off thousands of workers due to the global recession not a long time back. However, the industry is facing a new problem now - shortage of diamond workers. Once shown the doors by their employers, thousands of diamond workers have found shelter in embroidery and textile units and are reluctant to return to their old profession, even though the situation has improved in many units.

Many have left for their native places and have embraced farming for sustenance.
Besides uncertainty, one more factor discouraging diamond workers from taking another plunge in the industry is drastic cut in wages, which were very lucrative during boom time. “Right now I am not getting what I used to get working as a diamond worker in boom time. But I am better placed compared to most of the diamond workers, who are getting much less after rate cut,” said Haresh Ahir, who has picked up embroidery yarn business after the diamond business lost its sheen following global meltdown. Citing one more reason for his decision, he said if one works hard in any self business, sky is the limit for him which is not possible for any diamond worker.

Though, diamond workers could see signs of revival with some economists saying that the worst is over, the workers are still apprehensive. Out of 50% diamond units that had to down their shutters after Diwali, only 15-20% has reopened their units. Though the workers are getting jobs when it comes to number of diamonds polished by them, they are not getting enough money. “Earlier we used to get Rs2.5 for polishing a diamond, which has been reduced to Rs1.7, immensely affecting our income,” said Shailesh Solanki, a diamond worker. Moreover, earlier each worker had to polish 2-5 diamonds free of cost everyday which has now been increased to 12 per day, he said.

Dharmendra Solanki, another diamond worker, said the employers had been giving them bigger diamonds to polish which takes more time. “Earlier diamonds were of small sizes, which we used to polish in 2-3 minutes. Now, on an average, we polish only 70-80 pieces compared to 140 earlier. My income has dropped down to Rs3,500 per month from around Rs6,000,” he said.  The payment is also irregular, he added.

“There is shortage of workers in the diamond industry, and it is likely to remain for the coming few months,” CP Vanani, president of Surat Diamond Association, said.

“Clouds of uncertainty still loom large over the industry. Workers employed in embroidery and textile units are unlikely to return to diamond units, while those who have gone to Saurashtra are also unlikely to return till the end of rainy season,” Babu Jirawala, who runs an association of diamond workers in Surat, said.

According to industry experts, big companies are facing worker shortage of around 15-20%, while it is 30-40% in case of smaller units. The production of diamonds has also gone down due to the shortage of workers. Jirawala said the industry needed more than 50,000 workers in Surat alone.