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

12 Introduction
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labour in the garment and gem polishing industry, the structure and production processes of both
the industries and the international trade of the garments and gem stones.
For the in-depth interviews with child labourers a questionnaire has been used which was
translated into Hindi and Tamil, the two local languages of respectively Jaipur and Tirupur. The
set of research questions and the child labour questionnaire are included in appendix 1.
Due to the sensitivity of the topic of child labour in India, especially in the garment export
industry in Tirupur, it was often difficult to get detailed information on child labour from
employers and exporters, but also from government officials, who were of the opinion that other
countries should not interfere with the terms and conditions of work of labour in India. A second
researcher was supposed to be contracted in India to join me during field visits, but a suitable
person could not be found. Therefore, I had to go on field visits on my own which sometimes
limited me in gathering information especially when manufacturing unit owners did speak little
English. Being a woman sometimes restricted me during field visits as it is not common for a
woman to do research on her own, especially in Tirupur and the villages around Trichy in Tamil
Nadu and the Muslim areas in Jaipur. Being of the female sex, however, happened to be advantageous
for getting access to the homes of girl child labourers in Jaipur, who due to the Muslim
religion, are not allowed to work outside the house or see non-family males inside the house.
The present study does not have the intention to be comprehensive or exhaustive on the issue of
child labour. It is an endeavour to unveil part of the terms and conditions of the employment of
child and adult labour in the export-oriented garment and gem polishing industry in India, and to
unveil the most important pull and push factors which partly cause child labour in these two
industries.
Who is the report meant for?
The information gathered in this study is meant for the public in general as consumers, policy makers,
governmental and non-governmental organizations and all people involved in programmes
and/or initiatives which have the aim to eradicate child labour and/or improve terms and conditions
of work of adult labourers in the export-oriented garment and gem polishing industry in India
in specific, and eradication of child labour and improving terms and conditions of workers in
the informal and formal sector in India in general. The information in this report may be helpful
in (re)designing policy and action plans of organizations, action groups, labour unions, government
and non-government bodies in India as well as in other countries which are involved in international
measures and initiatives related to labour conditions and child labour.
Contents of the chapters
This report is divided into three parts.
Part I describes regulations and initiatives in Europe and India which concern the improvement
of labour conditions and the eradication of child labour. Within Part I, chapter 1 describes these
measures and initiatives in Europe and the Netherlands with a distinction between the political