Chennai: Even after decades of working in a single company, women workers do not even possess a bank account or demand a pay slip and silently put up with the torture.
During her study on the formal work sector, Madhumitha, a research scholar, found that these companies target young teenage girls, “ I did my study on a cellphone manufacturing factory at Sriperumbudur and was surprised to find that the employers have a tendency to hire girls not younger than 24. Since they can put in longer hours, take less leave and are more docile.”
Most women workers are seldom aware of their rights leading to their exploitation, say researchers and social workers claim the only way out for these women is to demand their rights.“ We cannot and should not go down without a fight,” said U. Vasuki, All India Democratic Women’s Association.
While trade unions have put up their share of protests, women workers in unorganised sectors rarely participate or organise such demonstrations.
Speaking on the issue at an event, Kalaivani, Joint commissioner of Labour, said, “ From the government’s side we will ensure that we deploy more enforcement officers in such sectors, but the most effective step would be to become more aware and as a group demand better working conditions and pay.” To this advice, a worker said, “We cannot ask our boss for a restroom break, how are we to make such demands?”
The activists reassured workers that while it seemed like a distant dream, demonstration was the most effective solution. “ The workers have to rise in large numbers so that employers have no way to detain or dismiss them. More trade unions will prove to be a great strength in this issue,” said Vasuki.
Also requesting the government that more notice should be taken of the worker’s suffering, Kalpana B, another researcher on the subject, said, “ Before the Make in India’ campaign starts inviting other foreign companies to invest in our country, the government should pay more attention to the already existing companies in the country and their torturous working conditions.”
