India’s biggest infant wear manufacturer and exporter Kitex Garments is again facing heat as a report says that the company treats its workers as “bonded labourers.”
Notably, the report has further called for an investigation into the alleged nexus between the company and the police and labour department officials.
The report, by the six-member fact-finding team, on the violent clash between migrant workers of Kitex Garments and the police at Kizhakkambalam on Christmas eve has claimed so.
However, the export giant has termed the report a politically-motivated witch-hunt.
It is pertinent to mention here that the team came into action after a sad incident at the company during Christmas celebration, wherein 5 police personnel were injured and 150 workers of Kitex Garments were taken into custody.
A clash, reportedly, had broke out between sections of Kitex workers, who predominantly hail from West Bengal, Jharkhand and the North East.
The team, drawn mainly from human rights organisations, released the 15-page report recently and said that the workers were locked up in their camps under the watch of security guards, and even their movements were restricted.
Going by the account of local residents, the company management runs a parallel government, and those who questioned it were slammed with fabricated cases.
It is unimaginable that a company could function in a state like Kerala in flagrant violation of labour and environment laws despite which the Government has turned a blind eye to it.
As per media reports,Sabu M. Jacob, MD of the company dispelled the report as a part of a politically-motivated witch-hunt against the company since last eight months. He said that except for Covid restrictions, workers were not restrained in any manner.
Kitex Garments works with prestigious brands and retailers like Carter’s and Walmart.
Western media quoted Nandita Shivakumar, campaigns and communications coordinator at the Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) saying that stories of labour violations in Kitex Garments are manifold.
She found none of the allegations regarding the mistreatment of migrant workers especially surprising and has said that limitations in movement and language aside, migrant workers are generally too scared to speak.
AFWA is a non-profit organisation that promotes living wages in the garment industry.
Apparel Resources has approached Kitex Garments to know their stand point.
Stay tuned for any latest developments on the same!
