Apparel July 2019 Apparel July 2019 issue | Page 144

FEATURE
MANY INDIAN BUSINESSES
CUT PRODUCTION
COSTS BY USING
MARGINALISED LABOUR.
debt, which further exacerbates their financial
circumstances. They then find it nearly impossible
to leave their state of employment.
RESOLVING THE TRAGEDY
Despite the many disadvantages and obstacles
faced by them, women continue to be the most
hardworking and intrepid group, seeking out
means of self-sufficiency and independence.
The question of how this happens is far too
simple as well. India is one of the world’s largest
manufacturing and export sources for apparel,
and employs nearly 13 million people in the formal
factory setting, while there are millions more in
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the indirect and informal links of the supply chain.
India has been able to garner this position simply
because Indian businesses have been able to
make more competitive bids against other nations
when dealing with international brands.
However, a huge reason for these competitive
bids is that many Indian businesses cut
production costs by using marginalised labour.
This is one of the main reasons that home-based
workers are the most exploited. In fact, according
to reports, nearly 85 per cent of all home-based
workers are exclusively routed into working for
clothing exported to the US and EU.
For Indian suppliers, the recent trends of
factory crackdowns and ethical audits have led
to a demarcation of methodology wherein they
subcontract work out to other local vendors who
are not subject to rigorous checks. As a result,
these downstream vendors break laws and are
able to oppress workers.
Due to this set-up, most international brands
have claimed ignorance of the true cost behind
their goods, and blame their vendors and
subcontractors, without accepting responsibility
for the outcomes. The issue of a living wage is
not simply about the government enacting
new laws; rather, it’s about governments and
corporations collaborating to ensure that the
manufacturing supply chain remains transparent
and easily auditable for these changes. Unless
corporations enforce the requirement for fair
wages for the workforce in the supply chain,
the reality will never change. Let us not forget,
the human labour element only makes up 3 per
cent of the overall production and manufacturing
costs of garments. By working with governments,
non-profit vigilance groups, and labour unions,
corporations can solve this issue once and for all,
ensuring that their workers take as much pride in
working for their brand as the consumers do in
wearing them.