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Informal and unprotected working conditions in the textile industry in Surat, India

The textile industry in Surat, West India, has been shaken for years by violent factory accidents. A particularly serious accident with many deaths led to stricter regulations for building safety. However, since then, the living and working conditions of workers in Surat’s textile factory, the ‘silk city’ of India, have also improved and SOUTHWIND, together with its Indian partner, the Indian non-governmental organisation Peoples Training and Research Centre (PTRC), is investigating this question in this study. The study is based on a qualitative survey of 50 employees from 48 textile companies in Surat. Most of the respondents' employment relationships are informal, unprotected and poorly paid. Their wages are far from sufficient for a decent life. A variety of measures are needed to improve working conditions, and the study concludes with recommendations. The recommendations are addressed both to the Indian state, which needs to improve legal protection for employees, even in small businesses. However, they are also aimed at the German Textile Alliance, which aims to improve working conditions along the entire textile chain.

Editorial team: Jannik Krone and Vera Schumacher

Scope: 32 pages
Reference: free of charge for download at SÜDWIND e.V.