Child-and-adult-labour-in-the-export-oriented-garment-and-gem-polishing-industry-of-India

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Bonded child labour in the synthetic gem polishing industry of Trichy
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wage. They are never able to pay back the debt with the ever increasing interest. The synthetic
gem stone industry in Tamil Nadu, especially in the remote areas, where hardly any other nonagricultural
activities exist, has almost a monopoly in generating employment and can therefore
exploit the workers. Because no laws are enforced in the areas and no checks are made by labour
inspectors, the 'slavery' in the synthetic gem stone polishing industry will continue; so this
industry is not an option for income-generating schemes and the alleviation of poverty. One
labour union is organizing some of the workers, but the majority, especially in the remote villages,
is unorganized and nobody is organizing them. There exists also no firm and widely operating
enforcement machinery. In the present situation there exists no front against the system of
debt bondage. Something should be done immediately to stop the practice of bonded child labour,
not only in the beedi industry, but also in the synthetic gem polishing industry and other
industries where debt bondage is prevalent.