I read Meena Sundar’s post on child employment, and Murali Dhanushkodi’s views on the subject and I wish to add my own ponderings over the issue. Thanks Meena.

I would like to bring into focus the scenario at Tirupur, a city renowned for its’ knit wear industry and produces even the costliest of branded t-shirts and sports wear.

Almost all International brands who source their wares from Tirupur have coined their own 1.Code of Conduct. 2. Social Responsibility and 3. Ethical Practises.

Top brands and most brands insist on the same being followed by the manufacturing companies and conduct various audits to ensure that the Government.rules are being followed by companies in India. Non-employment of child labour is one of the most important factors that they insist on. If the employees do not possess a date of birth certificate or school leaving certificate, a dentist is appointed to issue the age certificate as a study of the teeth is supposed to give a good indication of the age.

Tirupur houses a cluster industry, some who have all the processes that go into making a garment with various embellishments like embroidery, printing and others, apart from their in-house knitting, dyeing, processing and sewing facilities.

Some have a few in-house operations but invariably, right from raw material to the various finishes required are all out-sourced.

This means, we have, knitters, the processing units for various finishes, dyeing and printing, printers, embroiderers, and within the garment makers, job-working units, garment checking units, ironing centres, washing units.

In the manufacturing area- the lace makers, label makers, elastic producers, carton box, polythene bags and so on.

The list is endless, beginning with spinning mills producing hosiery yarn to the internationally nominated testing agencies. The larger companies have their various certifications of ISO and SA.(International standards and Social Awareness norms)

When an International company conducts an audit for an Indian manufacturing company, which they follow to the book, the audit is extended to the out-sourcing companies too in terms of the various processes that go into making of the garment.

The news that circled the industry and published in newspapers abroad, a few months back: An European International Garment major had not only cancelled the orders placed with one of the most reputed names in Tirupur but also imposed a huge fine because during their quality checks, they found one of the out-sourcing units of that reputed company, employing child labour. If this is the extent to which a reputed, socially aware, economically strong company can help to ensure compliance with all the units it works with, what will be the state of others who finally close their eyes to these issues over their own survival and success of their enterprise?

I can’t help being cynical at this point though I am not trying to include every business owner into this category.

We Indians fail to give the importance international companies pledge by.

The government is all out to encourage self employment and our country finds more tiny and small scale industries than any other.

Does the government have any system of rules that is mandatory for small business owners to follow? They have the entrepreneur development programs and I am not sure whether labour laws are inculcated into them.

I have heard that some developing countries do and it is not at all easy for one to set up their own.

Are the trades’ governing bodies or factory inspectors ensuring even to a small extent that these units are adhering to norms from inception rather than just conduct raids and ensure it is published in the news papers.

The dyeing industry in Tirupur and neighbouring area had faced a major challenge and most units were off work due to effluents discharged into water bodies. When this issue can be addressed to such an extent, why would not the government in terms of child labour and other sensitive issues?

Most Tirupur workers are from neighbouring towns and villages and states like Kerala. If one has to address their living conditions in a city which in spite of the burgeoning incomes and wealth, boasts of the worst infrastructure-roads, water supply, etc, one can write volumes on the lives of the Tirupur workers. Dozens shacked up in small holes for rooms, skipping meals, working over-time and yet they prod along with dreams of a better future round the corner. And among them I wonder how many are even of eligible for employment.

There are even agents who get about twenty or thirty workers under their thumb, rent out a dinghy old room, provide them with some basic food and make a buck, taking them to a factory. Few months in a place, he continues with the rotation to ensure his income through them. Bonded labour in the making.

If this is the case with an industry that is one of the top foreign exchange earners for our country then I am not very surprised with the match makers or beedi workers in Sattur and other areas.

The words of a HR Manager on one of his recruitment drives to a small town called Kovilpatti in Tamilnadu. “we drove through the night and reached this village, close to the town very early. Found the people up and about ready to go to work. By the time we got to speaking to the person who had contacted us for work, a lot of people gathered around, got to know we were there for finding skilled employees. Some of them, men and women alike, brought their girls of thirteen and sixteen years, begging us to take their girls along. All my explanations on child labour fell on deaf ears and some were pleading with tears in their eyes. The potential employees were questioning me about when we were leaving, so that they could go to work for another day, and give their day’s earnings home before they could come with us.” No work, no pay, no life for the masses! but may the children be spared...