Research Abstracts on Child Labour Women Labour - Nipccd

Knitwear Industry
Jayaranjan, J. (2002).
Child labour in knitwear industry of Tiruppur. NOIDA : V.V. Giri National Labour
Institute. 62 p.
Key Words : 1.CHILD LABOUR 2.KNITWEAR INDUSTRY 3.CHILD LABOUR LEGISLATION
4.SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 5.WORKING CHILDREN 6.EDUCATION SYSTEM.
Abstract : The present study on child labour in the knitwear industry of Tiruppur (Tamil
Nadu) seeks to understand the problem of child labour in the context of the Child Labour
(Prohibition & Regulation Act 1986). Survey covered 982 households spread across 9
location in and around Tiruppur Town. This total comprised 638 child labour households and
344 non child labour households. The study goes against the thesis of positive correlation
between poverty and incidence of child labour. Traditional understanding of child labour in
terms of household literacy status and household size was also contradicted in the study.
Higher levels of household literacy do not always guarantee greater chances for children
to attend schools. The incidence of child labour was relatively higher among the migrant
households (67%) as compared to natives (62%). It was found that child labour households
had more literates than the non child labour households, though the population in general
had low educational status. Nearly 33.3% of the population was unlettered, 45% had
primary level education and only 6% of the population was educated upto secondary level.
28.2% households had an annual income in the range of Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000, 22.1% had
an annual income in the range of Rs.10,000 to Rs.20,000 and only 3% of the households had
an annual income less than Rs.10,000. It was found that 163 and 170 child labour households
received 30-40% and 20-30% contribution to the family income respectively from their
children. About 81% of the male child labour and 84% of the female child labour were
working in the knitwear industry, 10% of the child labour were engaged in weaving, and the
remaining were engaged in other occupations. In 1995, Tiruppur Exporters Association
(TEA) had decided that no member should employ child labour, and no children were
employed in export units. But in the unorganized sector producing goods for local markets,
where the competition was severe, children were employed on low wages. Parents
considered children’s education to be futile. They wanted their children to start work from
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<strong>Research</strong> <strong>Abstracts</strong> on Child Labour, Labour and Women Labour 1998 - 2009