Maid in India
Maid in India Maid in India
Maid in India younger than 16 at three manufacturers. At two manufacturers (K.P.R. Mill and SSM India), workers below the age of 14 were found among the workforce. There is no trade union presence at the four manufacturers, nor do these manufacturers have independent and effective grievance mechanisms. There are thus no mechanisms in place for workers to voice their needs. 44
3. CSO, government, industry, MSI initiatives Since the publication of ‘Captured by Cotton’ in May 2011, much has been said and done with regard to the Sumangali and Camp Coolie schemes in the Tamil Nadu garment industry. Manufacturers, brands and retailers, as well as local and international civil society organisations, government ministries and agencies have spoken out against the existence of the schemes. Stakeholders have undertaken steps to address the reported issues. 3.1. Local civil society initiatives Several initiatives have been taken by local and international civil society organisations which continue to put the spotlight on the abuse of girls and women workers under the Sumangali or similar schemes and on other labour rights issues in the South Indian garment and textile industry. Tirupur People Forum (TPF) and the Campaign Against Sumangali Scheme (CASS) Over the past year, the Indian organisations working together in the Campaign Against Sumangali Scheme (CASS) and the Tirupur People Forum (TPF) have carried out additional field research, for SOMO and ICN as well as for others. In the course of this research they have conducted interviews with workers, labour brokers, and other relevant actors to obtain an updated picture of the labour practices in the Tamil Nadu garment industry. TPF has prepared a report which includes the stories of 20 victims of the Sumangali Scheme, among them three former workers of K.P.R. Mill. 43 This report will be published shortly. Furthermore, local organisations, organised in CASS and TPF, have continued to provide community support in the form of awareness raising regarding workers’ rights under the Sumangali and similar schemes, alternative livelihood skill training, and education for former Sumangali workers. When under-age girls are found to be working in spinning mills or garment units, immediate steps are taken to take these children out of work and put them in school. TPF has documented a number of suspicious deaths among Sumangali workers, involving fact-finding missions in collaboration with local monitoring teams and community leaders. Local civil society organisations have also supported former Sumangali workers in their search for compensation for cases where they did not receive the wages they were entitled to. TPF member organisations have filed more than 45 legal cases in labour courts, and are hopeful that the victims will eventually receive compensation. When requested, the member organisations of CASS and TPF have shown their readiness to actively engage with brands and respond to media inquiries. TPF also focuses on creating awareness amongst the general public in Tamil Nadu. Moreover, TPF has lobbied with political leaders and officials at State level throughout the year. When the new Labour Minister assumed office, the Minister, the Labour Secretary and the Textile Secretary were briefed about the exploitative conditions in the garment and textile industry. TPF received encouraging feedback from the officials as they assured them they would take up the issue with the officials down the line to ensure remedies. 44 43 44 Tirupur People’s Forum for Protection of Environment & Labour Rights, ‘Anthology of Sumangali Case Studies 2010- 2011 (publication scheduled for April 2012). Letter by TPF to SOMO, 16 March 2011. 45
- Page 1 and 2: Maid in India Young Dalit Women Con
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- Page 5 and 6: Contents Information on the authors
- Page 7 and 8: Information on the authors The Indi
- Page 9 and 10: Other improvements include pay rise
- Page 11 and 12: procedures are an important supplem
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- Page 15 and 16: 1.4. Structure of the report This r
- Page 17 and 18: Increasingly, fashion retailers hav
- Page 19 and 20: Supply chain transparency Clothing
- Page 21 and 22: State migration 19
- Page 23 and 24: The lump sum amount will in most ca
- Page 25 and 26: Employment of children Child labour
- Page 27 and 28: and are sold as prostitutes during
- Page 29 and 30: Child labour The researchers did no
- Page 31 and 32: For this research, 61 workers from
- Page 33 and 34: In its reaction to SOMO and ICN Eas
- Page 35 and 36: Occupational health and safety Safe
- Page 37 and 38: Scheme workers All K.P.R. Mill unit
- Page 39 and 40: Occupational health and safety Mask
- Page 41 and 42: Customers Crystal Martin (UK), C&A
- Page 43 and 44: SSM India strongly denies the accur
- Page 45: Devi (16) Devi started working at S
- Page 49 and 50: Initiatives driving collaboration a
- Page 51 and 52: place concerns’. 54 The challenge
- Page 53 and 54: On the basis of this research, SAI,
- Page 55 and 56: violence, elections to set up anti-
- Page 57 and 58: discrimination. Some auditors, for
- Page 59 and 60: presented by Solidaridad, is that i
- Page 61 and 62: Business Social Compliance Initiati
- Page 63 and 64: government, to yarn spinning mills
- Page 65 and 66: Caste discrimination and untouchabi
- Page 67 and 68: number have flatly ignored all atte
- Page 69 and 70: The ILO should present a clear stat
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<strong>Maid</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>India</strong><br />
younger than 16 at three manufacturers. At two manufacturers (K.P.R. Mill and SSM <strong>India</strong>),<br />
workers below the age of 14 were found among the workforce.<br />
There is no trade union presence at the four manufacturers, nor do these manufacturers have<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependent and effective grievance mechanisms. There are thus no mechanisms <strong>in</strong> place for<br />
workers to voice their needs.<br />
44
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