Brand practices hinder worker progress in India

BATH – Apparel brand initiatives to improve the welfare of supply chain workers continue to be undermined by sharp business practices according to new research which focused on Tamil Nadu in India. Researchers from three UK Universities (Bath, Sheffield and Royal Holloway, University of London) carried out interviews with more 135 business leaders, workers, NGOs, unions and government agencies and uncovered considerable evidence that while top-down initiatives from brands have led to some improvements in working conditions, they have failed to eradicate labour exploitation. “There is a widespread belief in the industry that pay and working conditions have improved and that the worst forms of exploitation have declined,” says the report. “However, exploitation persists in a variety of forms.”