Livelihoods: The Karnataka government has ordered the closure of the garment industry as part of its 14-day lockdown, which started on April 27th 2021. This is expected to impact close to eight lakh employees that the industry supports. Of this, about four lakh work in Bengaluru.
Employees in this sector work in garments, dyeing, printing, and textiles, with most of them being women. Many of the workers, who had been severely affected by the lockdown last year, are still to receive salaries for that period. With the current restrictions and closure, this is non-payment of dues is expected to continue.
The Karnataka Employers’ Association (KEA) has urged the chief minister to allow the garment industry to operate with 50 percent attendance so that they can fulfil the orders that they have received from Europe. According to KEA president, B C Prabhakar, these orders are large and carry strict timelines. “If there is a delay, it will result in huge penalty, losses, and also employment loss. Foreign buyers may divert orders to countries such as Bangladesh,” he said.
He also added that the suppliers source raw materials from cotton growers, who will be affected. “Total closure can lead to people returning to their hometowns and they may not return for some time. This will put industry in further trouble,” he said in a letter.
Read this article to understand the role of civil society in times of crisis.