One Dies in Group Suicide Attempt by Garment Workers

If you were unfairly dismissed you would go to see a lawyer, take your case to an employment tribunal or even take your story to the media.

But what do you do when you are a 20 year old Dalit girl from a small village in India? You lay yourself down on the train tracks and pray it won’t hurt.

This is exactly what four female garment workers working for Choice Apparels/ Novacraft a garment manufacturing company factory did.

Aarti had worked for Choice Apparels for three years. She lived in a hostel provided by the company she worked for. She went home for two weeks and on her return to work, she found that there was no longer a job waiting for her. The Production Manager shouted at her and told her to get lost in the most abusive manner. When Aarti tried to return to work the next day she was refused. Jobless, homeless and unable to return to her village Aarti and three other workers made a suicide pact. The four women lay down on a train track but were spotted by Railway employees, who managed to drag three of the workers off the track however they could not save Aarti.

80% of garment workers are women - women without voices who need the support of us, the consumers. Activists have demanded hard action against the management of the factory and condemned the apathy of the Labour Department in enforcing labour laws. We as consumers can pressure companies to enforce a code of conduct that protects labour rights. Aarti’s is just one of many tragic stories of garment workers who have chosen death over the oppressive working conditions. Let’s try and make her story the last.

If you want more information on this case or how you can make a difference
visit the Cividep website.