How much do garment workers earn? What do they spend it on?

by May 2, 2016 Governance
A survey released by Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU) provides interesting insights into the lives of garment workers.

They don’t go to theatres to watch cinema. They can save no money with the earnings they make. They have many occupation-related health issues, yet their medical expense is just about 12,000 per annum! This is the fate of finances /revealed by a recent survey on garment workers.

Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU) is an independent trade union of garment workers in Karnataka. Centre for Workers Management (CWM) is a research organisation working on issues of labour standards and labour rights in the formal and informal sector in India. Both these organisations worked together to do a study on overview of the statutory minimum wages for garments in Karnataka the wage survey and issues of work intensity and other issues.

The survey throws up interesting results. Here is a chart based on the survey, where the consumer price index that determines inflation is mapped against time, and a chart showing the hike in minimum wage plotted against the value of dollar in rupees. It is followed by many other charts that give an insight into the state of the lives of garment workers.

Survey shared by: Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU)
Infographics: Shree D N

Read the full survey below:

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