I was in showoff. The show off outlet, because there was a board outside said up to 70% discount. I was skeptic, as the prices in that shop are normally too much northward. Anyways I went inside and to my surprise, there were many kurtas in the range of Rs. 270 to 350. I wanted to buy all of them. I didn't, because there were many young girls and middle aged women like me, with similar intentions and I do not believe in any kind of injustice. So I just bought 2 kurtas and paid and reluctantly left the shop.
Then I read about the plight of garment workers, who made these dresses, who are Bangalore women like us, who slave almost 10 hours a day and get paid a meager 6000 rupees per month. They work without any benefits and without any complaints as complaint means job termination. And even women with almost 20 years of experience get similar wage. Their day will start at 4 in the morning. They cook for the family, prepare the children for school and then leave to their factories in a hurry. Because at 9, the gates would close and which means loss of one day's pay. Many work as maids in some houses after returning from factory as this job's income is not sufficient to run the families.
According some statistics, there are around 5 lakh garment workers in Bangalore alone and 80% of them are women. The only other alternate work they find is domestic help which they feel is less dignified compared to garment factory work. But many still prefer to work as domestic helps as the work is less sternous and more flexible. The women who work in these factories are expected to finish around 100 to 120 pieces per hour. If there is delay they are verbally abused. Even the number of times, they visit the toilet are kept in check. To avoid this problem, the workers avoid drinking water. And the cut pieces of cloth produces respiratory problems like asthma. But most often they are not allowed to leave the factory even they are very sick also. Any violation of the rule causes immediate loss of job.
And we middle class women, just buy clothes like greedy children and once bought, we do wear them hardly once in a month. Are we not indirectly exploiting these women? As Mani Shankar Aiyyar put it, we middle class act like altruists, but in fact are full of greed, envy and lust and anger.
So what is the solution to garment factory workers poor living condition?
Is the solution, buy only clothes which have price tag of 4 figures on them. So that there can be shouting matches with spouse regarding this. So that the neighbors can have their daily dose of entertainment?
Source : Garment factory workers slog all day
Then I read about the plight of garment workers, who made these dresses, who are Bangalore women like us, who slave almost 10 hours a day and get paid a meager 6000 rupees per month. They work without any benefits and without any complaints as complaint means job termination. And even women with almost 20 years of experience get similar wage. Their day will start at 4 in the morning. They cook for the family, prepare the children for school and then leave to their factories in a hurry. Because at 9, the gates would close and which means loss of one day's pay. Many work as maids in some houses after returning from factory as this job's income is not sufficient to run the families.
According some statistics, there are around 5 lakh garment workers in Bangalore alone and 80% of them are women. The only other alternate work they find is domestic help which they feel is less dignified compared to garment factory work. But many still prefer to work as domestic helps as the work is less sternous and more flexible. The women who work in these factories are expected to finish around 100 to 120 pieces per hour. If there is delay they are verbally abused. Even the number of times, they visit the toilet are kept in check. To avoid this problem, the workers avoid drinking water. And the cut pieces of cloth produces respiratory problems like asthma. But most often they are not allowed to leave the factory even they are very sick also. Any violation of the rule causes immediate loss of job.
And we middle class women, just buy clothes like greedy children and once bought, we do wear them hardly once in a month. Are we not indirectly exploiting these women? As Mani Shankar Aiyyar put it, we middle class act like altruists, but in fact are full of greed, envy and lust and anger.
So what is the solution to garment factory workers poor living condition?
Is the solution, buy only clothes which have price tag of 4 figures on them. So that there can be shouting matches with spouse regarding this. So that the neighbors can have their daily dose of entertainment?
Source : Garment factory workers slog all day
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