Successes: Garment
Politicians and companies see the need to address labour rights issues in South Indian textile industry
The report Captured by Cotton published by SOMO and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) in May 2011 highlighted that big garment brands and retailers were having products made under exploitative and unhealthy working conditions by girls in Tamil Nadu in South India. This prompted responses from businesses, civil society and politicians, and was given a great deal of media coverage. In response, several companies acknowledged the issue and are working together with interested parties on an improvement plan. SOMO and ICN will be following up on concrete developments in this area.
Most of these girls in Tamil Nadu – who worked for companies producing garments for European and American brands such as Gap, Diesel, Zara, Marks & Spencer and Primark – were younger than 18 and came from a Dalit (‘outcaste’) background. They are employed under a system called the ‘Sumangali Scheme’. In its worst form this employment scheme stands for bonded labour and fits the definition of ‘worst forms of child labour’ as laid down by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for children up to 18 years old.
Sumangali Scheme
Sumangali girls are recruited with the promise of a decent wage, comfortable accommodation and a considerable sum of money upon completion of a three-year contract. The lump sum – ranging from 400 to 800 Euros – is particularly attractive because it could be used to pay for a bride’s dowry.
The reality stands in sharp contrast to the alluring promises: wages are well below the legal minimum; excessive overtime often without additional payment; unhealthy and unsafe working conditions; restricted freedom of movement; lack of privacy; no possibility for lodging complaints or get redress. In a number of documented cases girls have not received the lump sum they were entitled to, despite having completed the contractual three year period.
Research in India
SOMO travelled to India in August 2010 with a group of journalists and visited the KPR Mill factory. This visit was part of the campaign called Rights for people, Rules for Business of the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ). The journalists were investigating the issues surrounding the Sumangali system. They talked to garment workers and former workers, local civil society, researchers and visited the KPR Mill garment factory. This resulted in a flood of articles in newspapers, magazines and on websites. Volkskrant journalist Ana van Es focused attention on the exploitation of workers in India in a series of articles. She won the Dick Scherpenzeel incentive prize for the series – a prize that is awarded to journalists under 26 years of age who write about development issues. The KPR Mill study was incorporated in ECCJ’s report Rights for Whom.
The subject also received attention on Dutch radio stations Radio 1 and 2, Dutch TV newscast RTL Nieuws, and in the Dutch newspapers Het Financieele Dagblad and Trouw, as well as in Belgian newspapers De Morgen and Het Laatste Nieuws. Dutch political parties Groen Links, PvdA, CDA, SP and CU also raised questions on this topic in parliament.
Companies
SOMO and India Committee (ICN) decided more extensive research into the prevention of the Sumangali system in chains of European and American companies, was needed. Captured by Cotton features case studies of four large manufacturers: Eastman Global Clothing Exports, KPR Mill, Bannari Amman and SSM India. These businesses supply a large group of international brands and retailers, including Bestseller (e.g. Only, Jack & Jones), C&A, Gap, Diesel, Inditex (e.g. Zara), Marks & Spencer, Primark, Tommy Hilfiger and many other European and US garment companies.
SOMO and ICN shared drafts of the report with the companies mentioned in the report. Nine companies (including C&A, Bestseller and Primark) sent a joint response and some companies sent individual responses The other companies did not respond, or only gave extremely superficial responses. In their joint response, the nine companies announced that they intended to tackle the problems jointly. They have issued promising statements, acknowledging the issue and they are working together with local and international NGOs, trade unions and other interested parties on an improvement plan. At this stage, however, these are still only intentions. They have still not made a firm enough commitment to concrete, time-specific activities.
SOMO and ICN are continuing to actively monitor the policies and practices of companies sourcing from Tamil Nadu – and will follow up on concrete developments in this area.
Reactions
In a debate during question time in the Lower House in the Netherlands on 24 May 2011, Ferrier (Member of Dutch Parliament, CDA) asked Minister Bleker (Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation) what he would be doing about abuses such as those described in the report. Bleker promised to address the question in his communications with Indian politicians. He also promised to enter into discussions with C&A. This company is one of the customers of the Indian manufacturers visited by SOMO and ICN. C&A is expected to report on improvements in six months’ time.
The Fair Wear Foundation and the Dutch textile sector recognise the issue and have publicly expressed their intention to tackle this situation, and to continue to tackle it. The Ethical Trading Initiative has also spoken out against this undesirable situation and brought companies, unions and civil society organisations together to talk about a multi-stakeholder solution for these problems.
Go to the website of Fair Wear Foundation and read the response of the Dutch textile sector (CBW-MITEX, MODINT and VGT).
Related articles:
Follow these links to find out more about the exploitation of garment workers in India:
- Exploitation in Indian clothing industry
- Exploited Dalit girls produce garments in India for European and US markets
