A People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) report has claimed that workers were regularly harassed and allegedly beaten up by the company management in a garment factory of Gurgaon. Its report ‘Tailor Made Lives ‘ says that worker were forced to work under precarious conditions on low wages, with overtime becoming a norm instead of an exception. It claims that investigation of the incident happen on February 12, 2015 hundreds of workers at garment factories in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon, came out on the streets and pelted stones at some of the factory buildings in response to the rumoured death of a fellow worker, Sami Chand. It was later revealed that Sami Chand had not died, but had been assaulted two days earlier by the staff of the company where he worked — Gaurav International.
According to the report low salaries have made overtime a norm. Accidents are not uncommon. Accidents and incidents of workers’ rage are testimony to the vulnerable and precarious lives of those employed in a sector, which makes a significant contribution to India’s economy Workers and local activists claim the former are regularly harassed, beaten, not paid adequately and verbally abused by the company management and bouncer-turned-guards. It is quite common for the worker to be attacked with a pair of scissors, a handy tool, by the supervisor/management or labour contractors. Women workers are often subjected to sexual abuse.
