CPI (M) State committee member M. Veerabadhran on Saturday said the Tiruppur knitwear industry was grossly exploiting unmarried women under Sumangali scheme and called for its abolition.
He was speaking at a panchayat level consultation meeting organised by Tiruppur People’s Forum for Environment and Labour Rights and SINAM, an NGO, at Mangalam village near here.
Mr. Veerabadhran said that as per the scheme, workers would serve a contract period of about four years.
They would be given a monthly wage of Rs. 1,500 initially and a lump sum amount on completion of the contract period to meet their marriage expenses.
“Only orphaned, semi-orphaned girls or girls from the families in abject poverty come forward to take up the job. They would be staying in a hostel provided by the employer and undergo long hours of work — even at nights, subjected to physical cruelty and denied statutory minimum wage,” he said.
Sent home
If the employers turned unhappy over their work, they would be sent home on the pretext of improper conduct at the workplace.
Then they would be handed out only a paltry amount as a one-time settlement well below what was promised to them at the end of the contract, he added. The government should abolish the system and assure them statutory minimum wage with proper work hour and other rights eligible for workers.
Rama Perumal, Director of SINAM, earlier welcomed the participants. K. Vasuki, District Secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association, former panchayat president Arul Palani were among those participated.
P. Melvin, Coordinator of Tiruppur People’s Forum for Environment and Labour Rights said that system of making young women stay in the hostels run by the employers should not be allowed.
