The Hindu Business Line : ‘Labour laws in textile industry need revision’

Mumbai, Sept. 3 The exports of the textile industry are being hit by the appreciating rupee, high transaction costs, octroi charges and incompetencies with China, but many in the industry, like the Apparel Export Promotion Council Chairman, Mr Vijay Agarwal, feel that labour laws in the textile industry should be revised.

The recently concluded first Tex-summit did not invite representatives of the workers/employee’s to participate in the forum.

“The labour laws should be modified to allow contract labour. Since the industry is seasonal, at times a company gets a project for six months, but due to unavailability of temporary labour, foregoes the project, facing losses,” said Mr Agarwal.

According to Ms Gayatri Singh of the Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti, the industry is not seasonal, but perennial, with not many short-term projects. “We have skilled labour in the industry. The textile industry degenerated only because of the short-sightedness and fraudulent activities of certain people in the industry.” Mr Dutta Isphalkar, General Secretary of Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti, said: “Labourers, who have been let off by the industry years ago, are working as taxi drivers, security personnel, etc, through which they make a living. Through contract labour laws, there is guarantee for investment, but no protection for workers.”

Mr Neeraj Saluja, Managing Director of SEL Manufacturing Co Ltd, is of the opinion that with the dilution of labour laws, the total output will increase. “A regular employee gets Rs 3,000 for 10-12 hours of work, while a contract labourer would earn Rs 5,000 for the same job as he is paid on per garment basis.” Mr Harsh Piramal, Executive Vice-Chairman of Morarjee Textiles, said that flexible labour laws would generate more employment in the long run.

He admitted that it would take some time for everybody to get used to the idea, but it would be good for the labour market, as it would make it flexible, allowing the labourer to choose the company he wants to work for. “But we need a proper vocational training programme in place through a public-private partnership to make this work.” Mr Vinod Shetty, Advocate of the India FDI Watch, said a dilution of the laws might mean more profits to the mill owners in the long run, but the workers will have no stake in those profits. In the powerloom sector, where there is a total disregard for the existing laws, he said, workers are made to work for 12 hours per day.

“The laws came into existence through the struggle of the workers who were being exploited. Any dilution will mean giving the owners a licence to exploit them further.”

More Stories on : Textiles | Labour Reforms

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page