Jewellers on strike today

Mumbai: Jewellers across India are on a token strike today on 23rd August 2021, to protest against the arbitrarily implemented mandatory hallmarking process in the country by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The strike is supported by 350 associations and federations from all four zones of the entire gems and jewellery industry. The jewellers across the country are against the implementation of Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID) in 256 districts from 16th June 2021 onwards.

Mr. Ashok Minawala, Member National Task Force on Hallmarking and Past Chairman – All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council had said, “The one-day token strike is our peaceful protest against arbitrary implementation of HUID, which is impractical and unimplementable. HUID is against customer interest and against the principle of ease of doing business.”

Industry’s livelihood will be at stake due to implementation of HUID, they claimed. The jewellery industry across the country is demanding to consider NITI Aayog’s report on Hallmarking to be a benchmark while framing the BIS Act. The jewellers are proposing that the hallmarking should be based on point of sale, while all other applications of storage, display, transit, exhibit to sale, manufacture etc. except sell should be removed from the BIS Act and Regulation.