Following a report that a spinning mill in southern India uses child labor and subjects workers—mainly young women—to “appalling” conditions, H&M has banned suppliers from using its products.
The company, Super Spinning Mills Ltd., was “unwilling to cooperate with H&M in a transparent way,” an H&M spokesperson told Bloomberg. A Banglideshi supplier has used the company’s yarn, but H&M does not have a direct business agreement with Super Spinning Mills.
The report, “Flawed Fabrics,” from the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) indicates the mill has “appalling labour conditions that amount to forced labour.” The report is based on 150 worker interviews as well as an analysis of company data and information.
Aside from Super Spinning Mills, which produces 62 tons of 100 percent combed cotton yarn each day, four other mills based in the textile hub of Tamil Nadu, India were deemed to have the harsh conditions, including Best Cotton Mills, Jeyavishnu Spintex, Premier Mills and Sulochana Cotton Spinning Mills. Other brands that have ties to the mill include C&A, Mothercare, HanesBrands, Sainsbury’s and Primark, the report said.
About 1,600 mills in Tamil Nadu employ more than 400,000 workers—60 percent age 20 or younger at the start of employment. Women and girls as young as 15 are recruited from impoverished rural areas and forced to work long hours for low wages, according to the report. Up to 35 workers reside in each company-run hostel, and employees are usually not permitted to leave the compound.
“Recruiters convince parents in impoverished rural areas to send their daughters to the spinning mills with promises of a well-paid job, comfortable accommodation, three nutritious meals a day and opportunities for training and schooling, as well as a lump sum payment at the end of three years,” according to the report. “However, when the girls arrive at the mills, it turns out that the reality of their new working life is not so attractive.”
Employees work 58 hours per week on average and often cannot turn down overtime or night shifts. The average monthly pay ranges from €20 to €52 (approximately $25.50 to $66.25), but there is no minimum wage, guarantee of overtime pay, contracts or pay slips to ensure workers are being paid fairly and accurately. Physical conditions are humid with cotton dust in the air. Protective equipment is often inadequate and workers at the five assessed mills are not entitled to paid sick leave.
“The long hours of work and the hostile, insecure and unhealthy environment, are all taking a severe toll on the workers, whose physical and mental health is negatively affected,” according to the report. “One 14-year-old girl working at one of the mills in question reportedly committed suicide in March 2014 while another young woman, aged 17, also reportedly threatened suicide in 2013 because of the hardships she had to endure at work.”
That 14-year-old’s name was Radhamma and she worked at Sulochana for a year before committing suicide March 9 by reportedly consuming nail polish. Tirupur People’s Forum for Protection of Environment and Labour Rights noted she was depressed from long working hours. The group petitioned the government, asking it to look into her death and requesting the mill to pay the equivalent of $7,817 to compensate her family.
The mill’s response: “The age of above said Radhamma was 17 as per our mill records and [government] records. She has committed suicide, which is her own decision. Whatever was promised to her before joining our mill was provided during her employment. Case was fully investigated by police and [Congress Working Committee] team, and closed by [government].”
The other case involved a 17-year-old who was disciplined for using a cellphone inside the mill. According to local publications in India that reported on the incident, a manager scolded and hit her in front of other workers. She was charged a monetary penalty and forced to clean a wall where employees spit out. Days later she tried to commit suicide, but co-workers rescued her and informed her mother. Management refused to release the teen to her mother, who asked politicians and trade union officials to step in to secure her daughter’s release.
Researches gave brands, retailers and manufacturers recommendations, such as helping to create transparency, identifying risks and ensuring labor standards are followed. They also believe the government shares the responsibility to protect workers through policies, regulation and adjudication.
“Despite their duty to protect human rights, governments … are not adequately standing up for the particularly vulnerable workers who [are featured] in this report.”
