1. The Decent Work Country Programme for India focuses, among other issues, on the promotion of social dialogue and decent work. Could you explain in what way workers in the textile industry will benefit from this?

The programme helps to identify main challenges and opportunities in the sector by the real players in the economy – the workers and employers - as well as building consensus among tripartite constituents on measures to address them. It helps advance decent work and responsible business conduct at firm-level and across the supply chain, promoting ratification and effective implementation of international labour standards, addressing decent work deficits, and to respect, promote, and realize the fundamental principles and rights at work. Furthermore, it supports scaling up individual to collective action necessary for driving systemic change. Successful social dialogue structures and processes have the potential to resolve important economic and social issues, encourage good governance, advance social and industrial peace and stability and boost economic progress. In any industry, including textile, which is labour intensive, a strong social dialogue mechanism facilitates the understanding of key drivers and incentives for workers and employers to perform, and supports in grievance redressal, conflict management, wage determination and collective bargaining, healthy and safe working conditions. The ILO in India has supported registered enterprises to promote workplace cooperation through various training programmes by establishing firm-level worker-manager teams. This has resulted in improved trust, communication, and information sharing among employees, and overall productivity. At meso level, it has built capacity of workers and employers organisations (including sectoral associations) to institute a structured and regular dialogue mechanism and conceptualise a triparite-led sectoral strategy for sustainable development of the sector. It has also provided technical support to the constituents for evidence-based discussions on policy making, in particular, wage determination at macro level. Gender discrimination and protection of rights of migrant workers are other concerns where social dialogue enabled consensus in adoption of progressive steps by the employers in a few clusters in India.  

2. Which further issues concerning labour rights are you tackling in the textile and garment industry? 

The ILO is working on the promotion of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW)  in the cotton supply chain, especially in the States of Telengana and Madhya Pradesh. In order to increase the sustainability of the cotton and garment industries, small producers and workers are enabled to work themselves out of poverty in decent conditions with their internationally recognized freedoms intact. ILO creates an enabling ecosystem through social dialogues, which generates an interest among the policy makers, small and medium enterprise/businesses, producers and other stakeholders about the benefits and respect for the rights and enabling process at the workplaces, necessary for a productive and sustainable cotton supply chain. The ILO is also working closely with sectoral industry associations and cluster-level associations on promoting responsible business conduct in the supply chain. At the micro-level, it demonstrates the inter-link between productivity and working conditions and builds capacity of firms to adopt cooperative relations and good management practices using SCORE Training, inter-weaving it with labour rights. In view of high prevalence of informality in the lower tier of the supply chain, as well as increasing non-standard forms of employment in registered formal enterprises, the  ILO in India also engages with lead buyers and brands to influence them on due diligence as well as invest in supplier development Building awareness on gender issues, especially the gender pay gap, sexual harassment and basic facilities for women workers have also been integral to ILO’s interventions in India.  

3. Particularly women in the textile sector are experiencing structural discrimination. What needs to change in order to avoid this?   

Besides awareness building among co-workers, supervisors, and managers at firm-level to initiate a culture change, there is a need for policy and institutional mechanisms. These are notably, adequate, affordable and safe dormitories /accommodation for migrant women workers. Policy incentives such as subsidies for firms employing women, especially in leadership roles, are helpful, too. The Gender pay gap, alongside discrimination / harassment in the workplace are a major concern. On-site capacity building trainings demonstrating the link of productivity and working conditions can pave the way for systemic change. Sectoral level social dialogue will be an essential driver. More and equal opportunities to women for skill development alongside collectivization will improve their ability to protect their rights and negotiate. Labour inspection and social audits can help to ensure basic amenities exist and are provided to women in the workplace.  Irrespective of the sector, care responsibilities are one of the biggest barriers for women to participate in the labour market, alongside safe transport and hostel facilities. Investment in the development of the Care sector with affordable and quality institutions and service providers will give a boost to women participation in labour force.  

4. Bonus question:  If you could change one thing in the textile industry over night, what would it be?  

Equal pay for equal work is a low hanging fruit, but not practiced by many firms as they opt to take advantage of invisibility and unequal power equation faced by women deep-rooted in the generational and structural discrimination existing in the society. Equal pay for equal work has the potential to generate much required respect for work performed by women, and encourage others to actively seek employment. It will also enable women to invest in better quality of life for themselves and their family, and also seek alternative arrangements replacing their role as care givers.