This initiative would require companies to disclose the earnings of their garment workers, verified by the Ministry of Textiles, to promote transparency and ensure fair wages.
A 14-year-old student has launched an online campaign to combat the exploitation of workers in the fast fashion industry. Sudiksha Chandra, a Class IX student at Delhi Public School (DPS) East, aims to bring significant change by advocating for the introduction of a new income tax section, Per Capita Income of a Garment Worker (PIGW). This initiative would require companies to disclose the earnings of their garment workers, verified by the Ministry of Textiles, to promote transparency and ensure fair wages.
Sudiksha's campaign is dedicated to securing the rights and fair compensation of garment workers across India, aiming to eradicate forced labor in the fast fashion sector. She believes that PIGW would enable the government to identify companies failing to pay living wages, thereby addressing the basic needs of these workers.
Highlighting a troubling issue, Sudiksha noted that since April 2020, over 4,00,000 garment workers in the state have been receiving wages below the legal minimum in more than 1,000 factories. Labour groups estimate these unpaid wages exceed $50 million, marking it as a significant instance of wage theft in the global garment industry. Workers have reported struggling to afford essential needs such as food, housing, and education for their children.
Despite reaching out to major fashion outlets in the city, Sudiksha has yet to receive any responses regarding her concerns. She is urging the public to support alternatives such as slow fashion, sustainable fashion, thrifting, and the use of clothes made from natural fibers, to help combat this exploitation.
Sudiksha's campaign is a call to action for both the government and consumers to support ethical practices and ensure garment workers are treated fairly and compensated justly.
