BATHINDA, April 28 -- Activists from the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) and its allied groups partially blocked the Bathinda-Amritsar highway on Monday after joining an ongoing protest by workers at a textile unit in Jeeda village, Bathinda. Alleging low wages and an unfriendly work environment, a section of workers have been protesting for over a week. Protesters are demanding a minimum monthly salary of Rs 26,000 and blaming the factory management for withholding fair annual increments. The unit has nearly 2,500 workers and several of them reside in the hostel located on the factory complex. The district authorities said work at the factory is going on even as a section of workers stays away in protest. As the farmer union and its allied groups, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, had called for a protest outside the unit, the police swung into action and took nearly 40 leaders into preventive custody on Monday. Bhucho DSP Pritpal Singh said that no one was arrested and all persons were released by the afternoon. Bathinda DC Rajesh Dhiman said that a preliminary report by the assistant labour commissioner states that the workers are being paid as per rules. The DC said the management is offering an increase in wages. "About 80% of the workforce is reporting to duty, while others are expressing resentment over wages. Work at the unit has not been suspended. The district administration mediated negotiations between the protesters and the factory management to resolve the matter amicably," said the DC. htc...