Closure of garment units at Madurai Integrated Textile Park near Vadipatti and other units scattered across the district, due to the nationwide lockdown in place to ensure personal distancing to prevent spread of COVID-19, has affected the livelihood of hundreds of women.
R. Panjavarnam, a single mother from Elumalai who runs a family of five, including her parents and two children, is the sole breadwinner. She has been working in a garment unit for the past 10 years. “As our ration rice will last only for a week more, we are careful about the portions. The adults hold back so that the children can eat more,” she says. The monetary assistance of ₹1,000 given by the government will see them through for two weeks if spent frugally, she says. But if the shutdown is extended, she foresees more trouble.
Until 10 days ago, K. Rama, another breadwinner of a family of four, worked as a contract tailor in a small garments unit in Vadipatti and earned ₹200 a day. “We are running short of foodgrains and providing two square meals a day is challenging. With the liquor shops closed, my alcoholic husband has become violent. I am having sleepless nights watching my two daughters starve and am mentally distressed,” she says.
K. Neelavathi, a single mother who takes care of her two sons, says, “I had pledged my jewels and borrowed money at high interest to pay for tuition fee of my sons. Now, with no income after the garment unit closed, I do not know how I’m going to repay the loan,” she says. P. Abirami, a tailor in a garment unit in Vadipatti, says she is afraid she cannot afford to send her son to a matriculation school this year.
These people who used to earn ₹6,000 a month are left with nothing now.
‘They need not fear’
According to S. Selva Gomathi, Managing Trustee of Justice Shivaraj V. Patil Foundation, the companies are duty-bound to pay their employees since the 21-day lockdown is not a voluntary absence from work.
“But their fear is unfounded. As per a circular issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on March 20, all employers, public and private establishments have been advised not to terminate the services of their employees, particularly casual or contractual workers or reduce their wages,” she says.
If any worker was on leave, the worker should be deemed to be on duty without any consequential deduction in wages during this period. If the place of work was made non-operational due to COVID-19, still the employees will be deemed to be on duty, as per the circular, she says.
The Disaster Management Act, 2005 will prevail over the labour laws. However, the State government should monitor and ensure that it is followed. There must be total compliance, Ms. Selva Gomathi says.
