Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 142

FEATURE
THIS WAGE GAP IS OF PARTICULAR
IMPORTANCE AS WE REALISE THAT
NEARLY 80 PER CENT OF WORKERS
IN THE INDUSTRY ARE WOMEN
BETWEEN 18 TO 35 YEARS OF AGE.
R19,000, which is twice the currently legal
mandate. The need for enforcing a living wage
over a minimum wage is of critical importance
as it has a multiplier effect on the economy. By
ensuring a reasonable state of living through fair
wages, a growing and developing economy such
as India ensures that its labour force remains
productive, healthy, and integrated into the
economy. By marginalising and underpaying
labour, the social, economic, and political
outcomes are fairly well established in history—
sickness, poverty, crime, and ultimately,
political revolution.
THE CURRENT REALITY
This wage gap is of particular importance as we
realise that nearly 80 per cent of workers in the
industry are women between 18 to 35 years of
age, and represent a crucial part of the national
demographic in terms of social upliftment and
systemic oppression. There is a significant lapse
on the parts of governments and business groups
in ensuring that worker exploitation is eradicated
across nations. As a result of these failures, we
122
I APPAREL I
July 2019
witness instances of child labour running rampant
with further issues of sexual harassment and
violence against female labourers. And while
such activities have been discovered in illegally
operated manufacturing units, there remains the
added issue of home-based garment workers.
Given the fragmented nature of the Indian
garment supply chain, many garment-making
activities are conducted in non-traditional spaces
such as homes. Many women are particularly
attracted to this form of work as it means that
they are able to fulfil their traditional roles in
the household while also bringing in income.
However, these spaces are poorly regulated and
are taken advantage of by middle-men, who
employ children, young girls, and women under
abhorrent conditions.
Reports estimate that over 20 per cent of
home-based garment workers are younger than
17 years of age, with some children as young as
10 or lower also working in these conditions. Over
65 per cent of these children do not even go to
school. This is a part of the larger trend where
10 per cent of people in many northern states in
India are trapped in forced labour situations with
about 6 per cent hedged in due to debt. Nearly
75 per cent of all workers in this scenario have
taken on these jobs due to being in duress by
social and financial hardships. Moreover, many
of these bonded and enslaved labourers are not
even paid their earnings on time and have to go
months waiting and being forced to end up in