Weeks after textile workers took to the streets to demand eight-hour shifts and weekly off on Sundays, many returned and protested at the district collector’s office here on Saturday.The workers, numbering hundreds, stated that they had resumed work after they were assured by the owners of embroidery units that their demands would be met. However, they were still working without a break for more than eight hours a day as no decision had been reached yet, they claimed.During the demonstration, the situation grew tense after a worker alleged that the police were taking photographs and issuing threats. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Operations Group) Rajdeepsinh Nakum intervened and warned the agitators that an FIR would be registered if they did not follow his instructions.As it was the second Saturday of the month, collectorate and labour department officials were not present. Subsequently, the workers dispersed after mediation between their leaders and police officials.Janmabhumi Bharat Majdoor Union President Ajay Dubey gave a memorandum to the police officials. In it, the union demanded that apart from off on Sundays, textile workers should also be paid their wages by the seventh of every month, and that labour laws should be strictly implemented in the textile industry.The memorandum also stated that over 18 lakh migrant workers were employed by the textile industry in Surat. It stated that workers were made to work overtime and didn’t get benefits such as provident fund, ESI, and gratuity bonuses.Dubey said, “We will again come back on a working day next week and give the memorandum to the district collector. We will try to sort out the issues then.”Story continues below this adArvind Raj Vishwakarma, a protester, said a peaceful dharna would be launched if their demands were not met by September 30. “There is nobody to listen to our demands. We work 12-hour shifts. Our bodies need rest too,” he said.Officials of the labour department could not be reached for a comment till Saturday night.Vishal Goti, who owns embroidery units at Vedant Eco Park-2, said, while the workers were paid their wages before the seventh of this month, their demand of Sunday week off and eight-hour shift was still pending. “We give weekly off on Thursday due to power issue. Then how can we give another weekly off on Sunday? It will affect our production and business,” he said.Last month, scores of workers stormed two embroidery units at Vedant Eco Park-2, an industrial estate in Surat’s Amroli suburb. The protest, which began at the Vedanta Industrial area of Surat’s Amroli on August 16, eventually spread to Anjani Industries, Katargam, Sachin GIDC, Pipodara, and Kadodara.Story continues below this adAt several factories, the workers halted operations entirely and staged intense demonstrations.Then, representatives of the state labour department and textile unit owners met to discuss the workers’ demands.In all three FIRs were registered at the Amroli police station following the violence and eight persons were arrested. According to an FIR, over 300 such factories were forcibly shut by the workers in Amroli. Crime Branch officer Amitkumar Dubey, who was injured in a stone-pelting incident, also lodged a complaint based on which an FIR was registered against a mob of 500 labourers at Amroli police station on August 17.