Indian garment workers face life of toil

A recent report on factories in Udyog Vihar, Haryana state, reveals that companies exploit the fact that the workers are new to the industry, and still have some families and land in the villages, to enforce long work days and piece work rates. In addition, most workers are also exploited by landlords as they are dependent on them for accommodation and food. While India does not have a garment sector as big as Cambodia and Bangladesh, workers employed in it are still subject to the brutal ‘Race to the Bottom’ in terms of wages and conditions that major companies engage in.

A recent report on factories in Udyog Vihar, Haryana state, reveals that companies exploit the fact that the workers are new to the industry, and still have some families and land in the villages, to enforce long work days and piece work rates. In addition, most workers are also exploited by landlords as they are dependent on them for accommodation and food. While India does not have a garment sector as big as Cambodia and Bangladesh, workers employed in it are still subject to the brutal ‘Race to the Bottom’ in terms of wages and conditions that major companies engage in.