Women

Garment Industry: Special Exploitation Zone

There are over 1000 garment industries employing over 5 lakh workers (Statistics given by Garment & Textile Workers Union – GATWU). But according to conservative govt. figures there are only 787 units employing 3,55,000 workers out of which 85 – 90% are women. Most of these workers have come from rural areas with many of them even today coming from far off villages to the city to work. It normally takes many of these workers living in distant villages not less than two to two & a half hours to reach their workplaces. For workers traveling from villages of Mandhya & Kolar districts, the workers need to have early start at around 4:30 or 5 in the morning to catch the bus or rail to reach their workplaces. read more

Globalization & the new economic policy have only benefited capitalism & their stooges in the Indian govt. Liberalization policy have only resulted in crores (millions) of organized workers being pushed out to the unorganized sector.

Of the 800 million (80 crore) unorganized workers, a significant part of them are domestic workers (over 100 million). From the age of 10 years to their ripe old age, we find women not only slaving in their homes but also working in the houses of the wealthy & the middle classes as the only other means for their livelihood. read more