WORKERS’ TRAIL: Garment factory employees denied minimum wages

By Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Garment workers in Bengaluru demanded that the minimum wages for their sector be raised and a court order in this regard should be brought into force.

They pointed out that under a 2020 Karnataka High Court order, they should be paid Rs 12,500 per month as minimum wages. However, the order hasn’t been implemented and garment workers are still paid under Rs 10,000 monthly. However, garment workers’ unions insisted that the minimum wage should be even higher.

Garment And Textile Workers Union (GATWU) president Pratibha – herself a former garment worker – said that workers in the sector, a vast majority of whom are women, aren’t being paid liveable wages. “In 2018, the (state) government had issued a draft notification setting the minimum wage at Rs 12,500 per month. However, the managements successfully lobbied to get it rolled back. Then we went to court, and in 2020, the Karnataka High Court ordered that minimum wage (for 37 recognised sectors) be implemented but this hasn’t happened,” she said.

“For garment workers, the minimum wages are even lower than that. They should be around Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000. Right now, however, they are only getting paid under Rs 10,000. It’s around Rs 9,500 per month. If they take sick leave, their salary is cut,” she added.

Some of the most wellknown garment companies in Bengaluru include Gokuldas, Shahi Exports, Arvind, Indian Design Exports and the like. These companies make apparels for multi-national giants such as Nike, H&M, Abercombie and Fitch, among others.

Jaya, a garment worker who works at Shahi Exports agreed that better wage was the most important issue. “A raise in wages is the most pressing issue. Right now, I get Rs 10,700 per month. It would help if it was hiked to some Rs 12,000 or more. The money we get right now is not enough to meet demands like rent, transport and other expenses,” she said. Jaya added that she had been a garment worker for 11 years, and with Shahi Exports for six years.

Garment Mahila Karmikara Munnade General Secretary Ratnamma, who had been a garment worker for 20 years said: “They get paid some Rs 10,000 or Rs 9,000 and about half of that goes into paying rent. Given the increasing cost of living, this is not enough money. The pay should at least be Rs 15,000,” she said. “The workload is also heavy. Workers avoid drinking water, going to the toilet and even skip meals to meet production demands.”

Abuse of workers
Pratibha said that the other issues garment workers face included abuse at work. “They are in a very, very bad condition. They suffer abuse of a verbal, physical, mental and even a sexual nature. Their supervisors and managers often subject them to mistreatment. It is patriarchal oppression. As women, they are expected to not talk back and not organise and fight for their rights. They are abused when they don’t meet their heavy workload as well,” the union leader said. “There aren’t always toilets at workplaces. Other times, there are toilets, but not everyone is allowed to use them or they aren’t clean,” she added.