The global fashion retailer H&M, one of its Tiruppur-based manufacturer, the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union (TTCU) and two other global labour rights organisations, have jointly entered a legally-binding agreement to end gender-based violence and harassment at the manufacturer’s shop floor.
The agreement, which involves the implementation of a number of worker-anchored initiatives, will be implemented at the manufacturer Eastman Exports’ unit “Natchi Apparel” in Kaithian Kottai in Vedasandur Taluk of Dindigul district, which employs around 5,000 workers. Asia Floor Wage Alliance (AFWA) and Global Labour Justice- International Labour Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF) are the other two organisations that are a part of the agreement.
The agreement is an outcome of the campaign, intensified over the last year by TTCU and these organisations, following the murder of a 20-year-old woman employee of Natchi Apparel. Her immediate supervisor at the unit, who was arrested for sexually assaulting and murdering her, is now facing trial.
