Research Abstracts on Child Labour Women Labour - Nipccd

Exploitation
Free the Children, Madhyamgram, West Bengal. (2001).
Calcutta, the city of joy also has exploitation of children in the work field.
Madhyamgra, West Bengal : FTC. ~25 p.
Key Words : 1.CHILD LABOUR 2.EXPLOITATION 3.CASE STUDY 4.CHILD LABOUR 5.WEST
BENGAL.
Abstract : The study was undertaken in 3 wards of Calcutta Corporation 61,62 and 66 and
was confined to 15 case studies in various industries in the unorganised sector. The
industries covered were leather goods, motor parts shops, garages, hotels, rubber and PVC
units, shoe making industry, tailoring, embroidery and zari units, etc. The industrial units did
not have licences or address and employers employed children through contractors. The
incentives for children were food and shelter, or very little wages which helped their
parents or children to be financially independent. The average family size was seven. In the
garage industry, the working hours were long 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. While doing jobs like welding
and grinding, the child could sustain cuts and burns, and injuries on the body. Training
period was extended so that no wages were paid. In hotels children worked all seven days,
and more than half the workers were children. In the leather bag stitching industry,
children were given no wages other than food and lodging and some festival allowances.
During the peak season they work from 9 a.m to 4 a.m. the next morning, in cramped floor
level sitting position, for no extra wages, which is exploitation. In the tailoring industry,
the child worker got no cash, only food, lodging and clothes for working from 9 a.m. to 11
p.m, and they had a weekly off. In the rubber/PVC sector, children earned a decent amount
for working from 9 a.m to 9 p.m., but rubber dust and the strong smell of rubber was
inhaled, which has long term adverse effects on health. In the motor parts industry, child
workers worked 12 hours a day continuously in an environment of heat and dust, which
affected their health. Only 3 of the 17 child workers were literate, and 14 of them had
migrated from Bihar. Legislation was not adequate and did not cover all hazardous
industries, nor was its enforcement effective. Efforts are needed to increase family
income, therefore it is suggested that cottage and small scale units should be promoted in
rural areas. Licensing policies should be restricted with reservations where production of
items produced by small scale and cottage industries should not be allowed in the large scale
sector.
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<strong>Research</strong> <strong>Abstracts</strong> on Child Labour, Labour and Women Labour 1998 - 2009