Campaigns & Activities

Campaigns

Campaigns & Activities

GATWU's campaigns combine worker organizing, legal action, awareness, public pressure and grassroots leadership development.

Minimum Wage campaign

Karnataka had, for a long time, a lower minimum wage than its counterpart garment cities, like Delhi, Haryana, UP and Mumbai. labour.kar.nic.in In 2007, the campaign picked up and led to a minimum wage revision in 2009. The next revision is in process.

During 2007–2009 several attempts were made to ensure implementation. Finally in 2010 we filed a case against the manufacturer and the government and received a favourable High Court verdict instructing the government to pass the new ordinance of 2010 minimum wage notification. Due to pressure from GATWU, Government formed a sub-committee to negotiate on High Court order and revision of minimum wage for garment industry. The committee met on 16.11.2013 and decided to meet on 7th December 2013 to finalize the matter.

Dearness Allowance Campaign

In the early years of the union, GATWU realized that workers did not have much knowledge about the dearness allowance provided by the government. The union began awareness campaigns through gate meetings, pamphlet distribution, workers meetings and trainings.

The challenge was with manufacturers that refused to pay the Variable Dearness Allowance to all workers irrespective of designations. GATWU was supported by its international allies—Clean Clothes Campaign and Workers Rights Consortium—and was successful in 2011–12. Due to the pressure of GATWU all Bangalore major exporters with the exception of Gokaldas Exports paid the proper DA for 2013.

Arvind Union Recognition

In 2011 GATWU successfully organized Arvind Warehouse workers, a licensed manufacturer for PvH, Polo, Tommy Hilfiger and other brands. Workers were working 16 hour days and the company refused to provide food, tea or sustenance. They had also failed to provide transportation bonus for 2007–08 and 2008–09 annual bonuses as required by law.

Management refused to negotiate, so we approached Conciliation Officer Ramnagara. In June 2011, Arvind admitted their mistake and paid the 2007–08 and 2008–09 annual bonuses and two years food allowance and coffee expense. They also agreed to stop forced overtime. Despite these legal victories, Arvind refused to recognize the union and continues to engage in significant anti-union discrimination. Out of 144 workers, 111 became members of GATWU, but 25–30 members have resigned from the job due to excessive anti-union harassment.

9A Violation

While the new Minimum Wage notification of 2014 gave workers a real increase in wages, a number of employers tried to reduce the impact by lowering housing rent allowance and travelling allowance that was part of the existing salary. This is a violation of workers' rights under section 9A of the Factories Act.

GATWU has challenged this violation with the Labour Department and approached major brands to take up the matter with their suppliers. While the brands have admitted awareness of this violation, they have not been able to resolve the issue. GATWU is pursuing the matter with international labour rights organizations to build a global campaign against labour law violations in the sector.

Activities

Activities that support the campaigns

Some activities contributing to the success of our campaigns have been annual wage surveys, gate meetings, a signature campaign, pamphlet distribution, public meetings, protest rallies, workers trainings, poster campaigns and media publicity, along with memoranda to Labour Minister, Chief Minister and Labour Department.

GATWU regularly conducts training programs for workers on legal rights and trade union organizing to promote grassroots leadership development. Through these trainings we have reached over 15,000 workers in Mysore Road, Peenya Industrial Area, and Tumkur Road.

We also help facilitate applications for the Labour Welfare Board Scholarship Program. In the past four years nearly 1,500 children of garment workers have benefited. GATWU fights to ensure garment companies comply with their obligation to provide crèche for workers’ children.

We also work closely with our partner organization Garment Mahila Karmikara Munnade.