Garment Labour Union has organised a rally from Kanteerava studio signal to Dr.Rajkumar Park, Laggere and a public meeting as a part of celebrating International Workers Day on May 1st 2018. There was around 1000 workers participated in the rally and the public meeting. The rally was inaugurated by Mr.Ram Kishore Tripathiji, National Secretary Hind Mazdoor Sabha and General Secretary , Textile workers Federation of India.
The special invitees for the program was Mr. Ramkishore Thripati, National Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha , Mr.Nagnath, State General secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Mr.Shri kanta murthy and Mr.R.V. Harish working president , HMS and Naganath, General Secretary , Karnatak state, HMS. There were workers from the different locations such as Mysore Road, Peenya, Mysore, Kanakpura and Nelamangala. The public meeting was started through inviting the special invitees on stage by Saraswathi.S, Treasurer , Garment Labour Union.
Rukmini.V.P, President of Garment Labour Union gave a speech of the working conditions, unionisation, Management attitude in the garment factories. Later after Rukmini’s speech, a campaign was launched against H&M international brand for not keeping their promise made in 2013. The public commitment was that the H&M will pay living wages of Rs.18000 to all the workers in their supply chain by 2018. Because of H&M is denying their promise now, we have launched a campaign against H&M for not keeping their promise with the garment workers.
Mr.Ram Kishore Tripathiji spoke about the working conditions of the workers and he suggested the workers to inform any kind of issues to GLU or HMS immediately so that they will be supporting them. He was one of the member in the ESI Trustee committee as earlier the workers were supposed to travel to Binnipete for ESI facility, he forced the government and there was an hospital opened with 50 beds in peenya for workers. He also suggested the workers to inform the issues in ESI hospitals so that he can discuss in the ESI committee meetings. He also assured that he will involve two office bearers of GLU to HMS state committee and one representative from GLU to Asian Womens committee as they are affiliated to Industriall global Union. As HMS is also a member of International Labour Organisation , he will also discuss the garment workers issues in ILO.
Mr.R.V.Harish spoke about the women workers and working mothers in garment industries. Workers should be organised or else the organised sector is declining is his important caution to the workers.
Mr. Naganath, Working President of Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Karnataka State, spoke about the way workers are treated after the shut-down of the factory. He also quoted that there is a law passed by the government recently which says that, If the Provident fund is more than 20Lakh rupees, there is no need to pay tax but the problem is workers should pay the tax while withdrawing the amount from PF office. It is the situation where workers should pay the tax to get their amount. Government has been digitalised the process of applying for PF, Govt is asking workers to apply application through online, it is difficult for the workers as the most of the workers illiterates and also has no computer illiteracy, if they go to cyber centres also they have to pay some amount to them to apply, again it is burden for them. And in the end he also spoke about how workers can use the Labour Department to get their work done.
Saroja K, General secretary, Garment Labour Union, explained the current situation of the workers, the way workers are treated by the Factory management and the issue of the management who refused to pay the payment of 14000 rupees and went to court.
One more attraction of the day is launching the campaign called “Turn Around H&M” targeting H&M mainly for their failure to raise wages to a “fair living wage level” and improving working condition in their supply chain which is promised by the H&M in the year 2013 and not yet fulfilled even after 5 years.
It is the small picture of the celebration of the International workers’ day which is organised by Garment Labour Union.
