The Swarna Silpa Bachao Committee and the Bangiya Swarna Shilpi Samity have decided to hold an awareness meet on Saturday about why they had held a 21-day strike and why they would resume it if some budget proposals were not lifted.

The gathering will be held at the Amherst Street-BB Ganguly Street crossing at 4pm.

“Most people think we were striking against a very small levy of 0.31 per cent excise duty,” said Subir Sen, the president of the committee. “But the repercussions of this duty, along with import duty, VAT and tax collected at source, add up to a hefty sum, which will affect the consumer. That is what we are protesting against.”

Pankaj Parekh, chairman (eastern region), Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, had told Metro on April 6, the day the strike had been lifted, that finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had promised not to implement the proposals.

On Thursday, Bablu De, the working president of the committee, said: “We’re hoping the finance minister keeps his word. If not, we’ll stage another strike.”