Date:07/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/07/stories/2007060716420500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

"Rights violations in garment units"

Special Correspondent

Call for dialogue between trade unions and employers

CHENNAI: Long hours of work and flagrant violations of the Minimum Wages Act continue to affect workers in the textile and garment industry belt in Coimbatore and Erode, trade Union representatives said at a meeting organised here by the International Labour Organisation.

The one-day State-level orientation workshop on social dialogue and youth employment in the industrial sectors focussed on those in the textile and garment industries to come up with solutions. Senior leaders of the All-India Trade Union Congress, the Indian National Trade Union Congress, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sabha and Hind Mazdoor Sabha participated in discussions that highlighted the violations of the rights of workers in mills and garment units.

TRS Mani, State secretary, AITUC, called for a dialogue between trade unions and owners/employers to work out strategies to aid workers. It was also important that the State created employment opportunities.

A. Soundarajan, general secretary, CITU, said there was no job security, and minimum wages were not being given to the contract labourers of the textile industry. With appalling salaries, they were unable to send their children to school. He urged the Government and the employers to invest in training and run skill development programmes for the workers.

RPK Murugesan, additional general secretary, INTUC, said there were many laws to regulate work and wage standards, but enforcement was lacking. The existing laws were unable to protect employees and create new employment opportunities. He also pointed to the mismatch between the skills of the workforce and the skills required by the trade, calling for concerted efforts to develop skills specific to the requirements of the industry. The exploitative `camp coolie' system that was being practised in Tamil Nadu must be eradicated, he said.

M. Chandran, secretary, CITU, said labourers were forced to work for 16 hours continuously on alternate days.

This reduced their capacity to work beyond the age of 45-50. An informal survey had revealed that there was no one in this age group in the vest industry.

There were no social security schemes for contract employees and an arbitrary amount of Rs. 84-85 was being paid, as against the minimum wage of Rs.150 a day.

Leylo Tegmo Reddy, director, ILO Southern Regional Office, New Delhi, inaugurated the workshop and explained the agenda of the ILO and its plans for Tamil Nadu.

Susamma Verghese, national co-ordinator, ILO, Chennai, spoke.