I have said it before and will say it again, there will always be a few disgruntled workers, but they do not make the industry. And for certain, such generic finding on the bases of statements made by few workers should not be used by Western media and the journalists to sensationalise and get recognition.
Why these journalists do not talk of the strict norms that have been put in place by the Government to ensure that workers are not exploited? Anyone working in India knows that India’s Factories Act clearly states that no worker should exceed more than 48 hours a week (or 60 hours with overtime), nor should they be made to work for more than nine hours in one day.
The law also states that women should only work in night shifts if they choose to do so. No factory, and particularly those working with foreign brands, will ever risk the consequences of violating these laws.
If for additional money workers, especially the women workers choose to work in night shifts, I think they lose the right to complain.
No doubt factories have to deliver and the pressure comes from the brands themselves… But holding the factory owner as the only culprit in case of any violation is unfair. In modern day manufacturing, bonded labour is a thing of the past and especially in A-grade compliant factories.
Globally, brands are committed to conduct business in an ethical environment and factories working with these players are subjected to so many audits and require various social and environmental certifications to even work with the brands.
In this backdrop, the very idea that a brand like Ralph Lauren, as mentioned in the report would allow any kind of exploitation in its supply base. The report also mentions that factories are not paying Asia Floor Wage Alliance recommended minimum amount.
I would like to remind the Western media that the alliance is a voluntary agreement and not mandatory. What is mandatory is the minimum wage rate as defined by the law of the land and by their own admission, there is no violation of the same!
Secondly, I fail to understand why no foreign media ever talks about initiatives being taken by factories to support workers. So many labour-friendly schemes are functional at various factories across the country. Some of them are in collaboration with retailers/ brands, while many more are self-initiated.
From safety norms to incentives, factories are following an inclusive policy to ensure that workers feel engaged and are well looked after.
We have just come out of the Diwali season and though many factories did not have resources to give bonuses and gifts to middle management, most of them made sure that workers were not only paid their wages, but something extra was given to them as festival gift. This can only be interpreted as empathy for workers in time of financial stress.
When workers are a priority in such difficult times, why would they be a neglected lot in ‘good’ times?
Of course, this does not mean that no violations happen. Constant monitoring and improvement are the need, but to sweepingly condemn or brand an industry or country as non-compliant because of a few bad apples is totally uncalled for!
What is needed is a collaborative approach among all stakeholders for supporting workers in good and bad times.
