Karjan: Around 500 to 600 employees of a D-Mart warehouse near Bamangam in Karjan taluka went on strike over pending demands on Friday, with the protest intensifying on Saturday after no resolution emerged from discussions with the management.

According to the workers, the company locked the premises and deployed bouncers at the gate amid the ongoing agitation. Employees continued their protest outside the warehouse under the sun.

Workers alleged exploitation, claiming they were paid ₹450 for an eight-hour shift but were made to work nine hours, and at times double shifts, without any overtime compensation. They also stated that wages were below government-prescribed norms and that there was no salary differentiation between employees with years of service and new recruits.

The workers have demanded a daily wage of ₹700 for eight hours in line with government rules, along with payment for overtime. They said repeated representations to the management had not yielded any solution.

Karjan Taluka Congress President Pintu Patel visited the protest site after receiving representations from the workers. Despite the presence of managers from Ahmedabad and Vadodara, no agreement was reached, further escalating the strike.

On Saturday, the protest continued, with the warehouse remaining locked and security personnel stationed at the entrance. Company officials reportedly informed workers that their demands had been forwarded to the head office via email and urged them to call off the strike. However, workers claimed they were not shown any proof of the communication.

The agitating employees, along with Patel, warned that if their demands are not addressed by Monday, they will approach the Labour Court and the Labour Commissioner’s office. DeshGujarat