Landelijke India Werkgroep

Captured by Cotton

Exploited Dalit girls produce garments in India for European and US markets

by
SOMO - Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations
ICN - India Committee of the Netherlands
May 2011
download report (PDF, 1.6 mB)

Europese en Amerikaanse bedrijven laten kleding maken in Tamil Nadu (India) door meisjes onder erbarmelijke omstandigheden. Er is sprake van misbruik en valse beloften. Het gaat veelal om Dalit–meisjes, jonger dan 18 jaar. De meisjes worden te werk gesteld via het ‘Sumangali Scheme’.
SOMO en de Landelijke India Werkgroep (LIW) zetten deze problematiek uiteen in dit rapport. Het rapport besteedt speciale aandacht aan vier grote Indiase geďntegreerde producenten: Eastman, SSM India, Bannari Amman en KPR Mill. Zij leveren aan o.a. Bestseller (o.a. Only, Jack & Jones), C&A, Diesel, GAP, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Tommy Hilfiger en Inditex (o.a. Zara). Een aantal bedrijven zet zich in voor verbeteringen, maar uitbuiting komt desondanks nog veelvuldig voor.
This report highlights several labour rights violations faced by girls and young women employed under the Sumangali Scheme in the Tamil Nadu garment industry. The Sumangali Scheme equals bonded labour, on the basis of the fact that employers are unilaterally holding back part of the workers’ wages until three or more years of work have been completed. In addition, workers are severely restricted in their freedom of movement and privacy. Workers work in unsafe and unhealthy circumstances. Local and international NGOs have reported extensively on the Sumangali Scheme. Inevitably, brands and retailers sourcing from Tamil Nadu have Sumangali workers in their supply chain. ICN and SOMO denounce the Sumangali Scheme as outright unacceptable and are of the opinion that sourcing companies have a responsibility to ensure that workers’ rights are respected throughout their supply chain.




India Committee of the Netherlands / Landelijke India Werkgroep - May 20, 2011