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

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Adult labour in the garment export industry of Bangalore
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The workers in the three areas mentioned mainly six problems: overtime work, low wages, no
statutory benefits, fear of losing their job if they join a labour union or become ill or pregnant, no
job security, and health problems which include stress on the job and harassment by the
supervisors.
The ages of the workers varied between 16 and 35 years. As stated by the majority of the
interviewed workers, the workforce in their factories constitutes 80-90% female workers. Women
workers are preferred by employers because they are cheaper than males.
Working hours and overtime work
The interviewed workers work 8 hours per day, plus 1 to 4 hours overtime work daily. They said
that working overtime is compulsory otherwise their salaries would be reduced or they would be
fired. The majority of the workers worked three out of four Sundays which was compulsory, as
stated by the majority of the workers. The lunch break varied between 15 and 30 minutes. That is
the only break they had during the day. In some factories there was another 15 minutes tea break.
In some of these factories the tea had to be bought from outside.
The workers stated that the work was not the whole year through; variably around 8 month in a
year. When there is a slack period, the factory closes down and the workers are jobless.
Wages
Including extra overtime work payments, the wages paid to the women ranged between Rs 600
and Rs 1200 per month in the slum Ashoka Puram Colony. In Singa Sandra the wages were
higher and ranged between Rs 1050 and Rs 1400 per month. In Weavers Colony the wages varied
from Rs 500 to Rs 850 per month, and were much lower than the wages in the two other areas.
The education level of the women in Ashoka Puram Colony and Singa Sandra were around 10th
standard while the education level of women in the Weavers Colony were lower than in these two
areas. The lower education levels may be was used as a reason by employers to pay these women
lower wages.
Males earn more than women for doing the same job, as was stated by all the interviewed women.
The interviewed males earned wages which ranged between Rs 1600 and Rs 2500 per month.
The wages are dependent on work experience and type of job. Tailors, for example can be of a
low, medium, or high level. The majority of the women started as a helper to the tailor and became
tailors after a few years. These women often have had a higher education like 10th to 12th
standard and their wages were increased from Rs 750 to Rs 1400 after a few years. Workers who
were helpers earned wages which ranged between Rs 400 and, after a few years, Rs 800 per
month. Workers who started in the probationary period as a tailor earned in the beginning higher
wages (Rs 1050 per month), than women who started as a helper. Tailoring was among the
highest paid jobs as compared to jobs like washing, packing, button stitching and holing. Jobs
like pattern making and cutting were hardly carried out by women, and because males were doing
these jobs the wages of these jobs were higher; around Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 per month. Workers
were never promoted to supervisors. Supervisors earned wages which ranged between Rs 2500
and Rs 4000 per month.