Labour rules: Govt plans 'flying check' on garment firms

NEW DELHI: Garment manufacturing units, including vendors who supply to marque international brands like Gap, Armani and Diesel, face stringent scrutiny on labour law violations. The government plans to form a 'flying squad' to keep a check on such entities by conducting surprise raids. The flying squad will clamp down on such manufacturing units if they are found guilty of flouting labour norms. Instances pertaining to child labour, discomfort to women labourers and chinks in overall working conditions would be reported to the government, which plans to blacklist such units. Officials from ministries of textiles, labour and women and child welfare would be part of the squad which is expected to be in place within a month. The main purpose of the squad is to stop the practice of child labour. Officials in respective ministries feel that the controversy relating to use of children as labour by Indian suppliers of international brands results in spoiling relations with the companies concerned. Besides, the country's reputation is also spoilt. "There have been instances when foreign companies have refused to accept consignment from the Indian suppliers, accusing them of using child labour and flouting several other labour norms. Government is contemplating concrete steps to ward of any such shame in future," a government official said. The flying squad would also include a couple of industry experts to strike a balance. Members of the flying squad would be rotated so that there are less chances of them being influenced by factory owners or dealers who, in most cases, have got strong political linkages. "In some cases, international companies hire subcontractors and then forget about it. There is lack of efficient monitoring. The biggest responsibility here lies with the government," an official said. Last year, a reported discovery of children as young as 10 sewing clothes for clothing retailer Gap in a New Delhi factory had fanned concerns about child labour in India. The textile ministry is playing a proactive role in setting up the committee as it does not want to falter on its export targets year after year. The target for 2012 is $50 billion. In 2007-08, textile exports stood a little over $20 billion against the target of $25 billion.

---

Share files, take polls, and make new friends - all under one roof. Click here.