Garment factory workers protest against piece work

Over 300 women employees of a private garment factory in the Peenya industrial area are staging a protest against their management for forcing them to take up piece work instead of a steady monthly salary. In this system the workers will be paid for the number of pieces they stitch and not based on the eight-hours shift.

Tense moments prevailed in the afternoon after the police arrived at the company premise and the management locked up the gates not allowing media personnel or activists within. A couple of pro-Kannada organisations including Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) joined the protest to support the employees but were not allowed inside the company.

“This is a tactic to downsize manpower and exclude workers who are against the management’s decisions,” said an activist.

The management announced that the 1100 staff in the factory will now take up piece work for improving productivity. While the 300 women protested the remaining 800 other employees continued to do the piece work.

Even after officials from the labour department arrived the company management was firm about its decision. This led to half the women accepting to take up the piece work while the other half demanded their settlement and chose to quit.