1 PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES: Analyse the pro and cons of the Sumangali Scheme Discuss the issues and problems of the scheme Identify the status of the schemes and its current impact in Virudhunagar district Create solidarity among the civil society organizations, unions, social volunteers and victims stand against the exploiting schemes. Promote vigilance committees in appropriate blocks where the impact of the scheme is crucial. Draft the demands to government against the issues of the scheme Consultation on the Issue of Sumangali Scheme for the Civil Society Organisations – Virudhunagar Dist 03/07/2013 2 Consultation on the Issue of Sumangali Scheme for the Civil Society Organisations Inauguration ‘Consultation on the issue of Sumangali Scheme for the Civil Society organisations’ was held on 03.07.2013 by 10.00 a.m at Muthusamy Marriage hall, Srivilliputtur town of Virudhunagar District. CSED, Avinasi, NEEDS, Srivilliputtur and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) working in Virudhunagar District had jointly organized the programme. About 61 representatives from various NGOs working in Virudhunagar district, lawyers, Representatives of Women Rights Federation Movement, Textile mill workers, Political Parties and representative of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) were actively participated and shareed their views and experiences. Welcome Address: Mr. RajaGopal, President, NEEDS gave welcome address and encourged all the participants to actively involve in the session by sharing their views and local information. Consultation Introduction: Mr. Nambi, Director, CSED gave special address on objectives of the programme and various issues and problems of women labourers working under ‘Sumangali Scheme’ in Tiruppur, Kovai and Erode districts who are hired from various districts of Tamil Nadu. During earlier stage most of the girls from southern districts such Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Madurai, Theni and Pudukottai were working but now the reach of scheme extended to northern districts such as Dharmapuri, Krishnakiri districts and districts located along coastals. Besides they get girls from other poor states to work under this scheme shows the reach scheme beyond the state borders. The agents working for the scheme get good commission out of canvasing girls for mill work hence they even canvas girls of their close relatives just for the sake of commission hiding the bad impact on such girls. In pudukottai district, a Head Master in a school is canvasing the schoolchildren for the scheme is an extreme level of agent intervention. Though the girls are signing the scheme agreement for 3 years, most of them are returning back home within 6 to 1 year period because of the various issues such as poor working condition, untolarable living conditions, noticing hidden camera in their bathrooms, sexural harrasments and unlimited/undescribed working timings. They cannot Consultation on the Issue of Sumangali Scheme for the Civil Society Organisations – Virudhunagar Dist 03/07/2013 3 get nothing against their agreed sum or minimum compensation by mentioning their rule breached as per agreement. It has assessed that around 2 to 3 lakh girls are working under the scheme in various textile mills, among them 15% are under the age of 15. Around 50% are aged between 15 to 18 years and remaining is above 18 years category. Nevertheless, the conditions in agreement and the category children selection are against the existing labour acts and child labour laws, the government signed on the agreements. According to the UNCRC definition of children, around 65% of girls working under the scheme are children. The poor girls living under marginal poverty are feeling that they are enjoying better comforts in the hostels with out knowing issues around them. CSED is striving to address these issues with the cooperation and solidarity of the various civil society organizations, unions and volunteers working around Tamil Nadu districts. In this cause, CSED has dual approach by working in those districts where girls are working under this scheme and those districts where from children are hiring for the scheme. He explained the objects of the programme as follows, 1. Create awareness on the different issues and problems of the Sumangali scheme among relevant community based on the districts where lager numbers of girls are been exploited under the scheme. In Virudhunagar districts, Srivilliputtur, Watarp, Kariapatti, Narikudi and Trichuli blocks are listed high exploiting areas. 2. Address the issues of Migration through maintaining Panchayat level migration registers. 3. Create helpline to address the issues and to find immediate solution. 4. Prevent exploitations and ensure their rights against all kinds of harassments and abuses. Mr. Asokan, District President, CITU in his speech mentioned “poverty and illiteracy are being key factors leading for abuses and exploitations through this scheme". The Sumangali Scheme exploiting the women labourers are fact where most of them are adolescent girls is the notable issue. The adolescent stage is a crucial stage where the girls significantly need good family atmosphere, rest, balanced diet and intensive health and hygine care. Besides, they are in the stage of physiological change and psychological confusions and require counselling and advice of elder people in their home. The system of employment through the Sumangali Scheme keeps such adolescent girls far away from their home and provides unhygienic accommodations in factory sites. They are highly loaded with physical work schedules mostly Consultation on the Issue of Sumangali Scheme for the Civil Society Organisations – Virudhunagar Dist 03/07/2013 4 during the night shifts, which would affect the 90% of the adolescent grils and make poor impact on next generation children. Even today, agriculture being main livelihood of the rural poor, the rapid degradation on this sector leads for unemployment and poverty, simultaneously the tremendous growth in industrial sectors especially in textile mills created larger demand for industrial labourers. Since labour management was being a great challenge, the industrialists were looking for better labour groups easily manageable and working for lower wage system. Around 50 years back, in US, the women and adolescents have used to spread their charity and work in their factories as low wage labourers. As like in India, a labour system introduced 15 years back to exploit the women and adolescent girls in the Textile mills with the aim of maximizing their profit by reducing labour cost in the name of ‘Sumangali Thittam’. Mr. Ravi, Dist Secretary, INTUC – Textile Labourers are having forward thoughts, they promoted first labour union was formed on Jan 03, 1920 at BNC Textile mills in Chennai. The unions were contributed their best on framing various labour welfare schemes and provisions through series of protests. However, the women labourers were out of unions since they hesitate to take part in protests and facing related problems from management. Using such weakness of the women labourers, the Sumagali scheme promoted a women intensive work group, which are away from union, protests and strikes demanding for their rights. Under the scheme, women have treated as Prisioners and lost most of their rights in the campus. About three lakh women labourers are working like bonded labourers but not even 5% of them are permanent. Drought and poverty in southern district converted the cultivatable agri land in to real estates hence the farmers become labourers in fireworks, textile mills and match factories. The socio economic conditions of the family became poor but the cost against social commitment especially their girl children marriage had increased. Three months salary turns into 3 years wage using the scheme by assessing their cruciality of need. When the issue had taken in front of the government at first time, Government had said that no such schemes in Tamil Nadu. The Sumangali Scheme discourages leaves and holidays and those get leave more than 5 days during the agreement period may not get their compensation as agreed in the agreement. Though most of the conditions are against various labour acts, Government takes no action against the implementation such exploiting schemes. Nalini Chidamparam, an Advocate filed a case in Supreme Court to claim rights of Consultation on the Issue of Sumangali Scheme for the Civil Society Organisations – Virudhunagar Dist 03/07/2013 5 women work in night shifts. The Court provided the rights by its most significant judgement, which paves for the high exploiting Sumangali Scheme that engages women labourers in night shifts. A factory rule said that no outsiders should enter in to the factory site. When women Labourers are working and staying with in the factory complex, the unions has restrictions to approach the labourers to resolve the issues around them. The ignorant parents never understand or aware of the issues around their children and the crucial impacts. There are many cases on factory accidents, suicides and sexual exploitations where unions have no access with labourers to solve or lead the issues for justice. The situation makes the people to suspect the government may support the scheme indirectly for the favour of capitalists. However, few communist MLAs and MPs were taking the issue in Legislative assembly and Parliament but which had not considered as significant issue. Once the labour cost on total production cost was 16% but today this has reduced to 5% and exceeding