Several home-based garment workers in India belonging to marginalised areas and communities are paid a mere 15 cents by leading fashion brands.
This was revealed by a research study conducted recently by University of California.
The study also highlighted that the wages of these workers were regularly suppressed and there were several instances of child and forced labour.
According to the study, these home-based garment workers mainly did embroidery, beadwork, tasseling and buttons. Sadly, one among 5 home-based garment worker was 17-years-old or below. The study also showed that one in 10 people in North India are into forced labour whereas 6 per cent are trapped in bonded labour.
Three-quarters of the girls and women interviewed began working due to financial problems. Most of these women did not even have written contracts. Also, two-thirds of underage workers were school dropouts.
There have been reports of wages being paid late and also workers being penalised for failing to complete orders on time.
Although the report hasn’t named any brand specifically, the study found that 85 per cent of these home-based workers worked in supply chains for clothing that was mainly shipped to the US or EU.
