Dona i migrada, l'abús en la indústria del tèxtil (Campanya Roba Neta [Catalunya]):
La indústria del tèxtil de països com l'Índia ha vist en les migracions internes entre països del sud, amb desenes de milers de persones buscant oportunitats laborals que no existeixen al seu paÍs d'origen, i que cada cop són més nombroses, l'oportunitat perfecta per aprofitar-se'n. Amb la promesa d'un sou i unes condicions laborals que no són reals, les treballadores són enganyades i obligades a treballar de forma continuada i sense cap mena de seguretat o higiene.
AixÍ ho explica el nou estudi Treball sense Llibertat. Treballadores migrades a la indústria tèxtil de Bangalore, que posa en relleu com aquesta tendència està a l'alça, i més arran de la crisi econòmica.

New monitoring report: Seed companies show progress on tackling child labour, but fail to tackle non-payment of minimum wages in their supply chain (ICN/Stop Child Labour):
The report Remedies for Indian seed workers in sight? of the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) reveals that despite progress in addressing child labour, seed companies have not sufficiently addressed the issue yet. The companies are also largely failing to take adequate measures to address non-payment of minimum wages, especially to women.

Stop Child Labour business cases (Stop Child Labour):
Stop Child Labour has developed business cases for companies. The business cases aim to encourage companies to assume responsibility and take concrete measures to ban child labour from their production chain. The business cases clearly show why it is important for companies to address child labour. Moreover, they explain how Stop Child Labour can support them in addressing child labour and what is expect from them in this endeavour.

Rock quarry slavery survivors in Tamil Nadu welcome stiff sentence for captors (Reuters):
Survivors of slavery at a rock quarry in Tamil Nadu welcomed a stiff sentence handed to the owner and managers, and said on Monday that the rare ruling sends a strong warning to other employers.
A court in Tamil Nadu found three men guilty of using violence, intimidation and debt bondage to force people to work in the quarry in Tiruvannamalai district, and sentenced them each last week to 11 years and nine months in prison.
India banned bonded labour in 1976, but it remains widespread, and campaigners say that less than two percent of cases result in convictions.

Successful training about Business and Human Rights in India (Stop Child Labour):
The training Responsible Business Behaviour for Creating Child Labour Free Zones strenghtens organizations in cooperating with companies to realize child labour free production in India. The last training under this programme took place in March 2018 in Dehli. The training was organized by the Stop Child Labour India Platform.

Kampf gegen Kinderarbeit: Landesregierung beschließt Runderlass zur Zertifizierung von Grabsteinen (Ministerium für Arbeit, Gesundheit und Soziales des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen):
Die Landesregierung verschärft ihren Kampf gegen Kinderarbeit: Künftig dürfen Grabsteine aus China, Indien, den Philippinen und Vietnam in Nordrhein-Westfalen nur noch dann aufgestellt werden, wenn sie mit hinreichender Wahrscheinlichkeit ohne schlimmste Formen von Kinderarbeit hergestellt worden sind.

The Fashion Industry Is Considered One Of The Biggest Contributors To Modern Slavery (Essence):
If you’ve ever wondered where your clothing is made or how it’s produced, this shocking new report will certainly make you ponder. According to a new report by the Walk Free Foundation, the fashion industry is the second-largest sector, after technology, to support modern slavery practices.

Breves - Esforços internacionais não travam abusos (Portugal Têxtil):
Os esforços internacionais para tornar mais fácil para os trabalhadores da indústria de vestuário da Índia apresentarem queixa contra o assédio sexual, condições de trabalho perigosas e abusos diversos estão a falhar.
....
Mas o trabalho forçado, o assédio sexual e a repressão sindical não estão a ser devidamente abordados, afirmam os grupos holandeses India Committee of the Netherlands e o Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations.

Initiatives Failing to Stop Indian Labor Abuses, Activists Say (VOA News)/
Global initiatives failing to stop labour abuses in India, activists say (Thomas Reuters Foundation - Jun 27, 2018)/
Global initiatives failing to stop labor abuses in India, activists say (Reuters - Jun 27, 2018)/
Global Initiatives Failing to Stop Labor Abuses in India, Activists Say (Jakarta Globe - Jun 28, 2018):
International efforts to make it easier for garment workers in India to speak out against sexual harassment, dangerous working conditions and abuses are failing, campaigners said Tuesday.
The U.S.-based certifying agency Social Accountability International (SAI) and Britain's Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) — an alliance of unions, firms and charities — are not enforcing procedures they set up to protect workers, they said.
....
But forced labor, sexual harassment and repression of unions is not being properly addressed, Dutch advocacy groups India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) said last week.

Problems persist in South Indian textile industry (press release SOMO/ICN):
Social Accountability International (SAI) – a social certification organisation for factories and organisations, and the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) – an alliance of companies, trade unions and voluntary organisations working to improve the lives of workers – have failed to deliver on promises to deal effectively with concrete complaints about abusive labour conditions for girls and young women in the textile and garment industry in South India.
Read the new report Case Closed, Problems Persist by three NGOs: the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and UK-based HomeWorkers Worldwide (HWW).

Falsche Versprechen, verweigerte Rechte: Kleiderherstellung in Bangalore (Südasien):
Dass die Herstellung von Bekleidung und Gebrauchsgütern in (Süd-)Asien im Geruch ausbeuterischer Arbeitsverhältnisse und rechtloser Zustände vor Ort steht, ist nichts Neues. Die sklavereiähnlichen Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen in Spinnereien oder indischen Granitsteinbrüchen sind ebenfalls nicht unbekannt. Wenn scheinbar nichts Neues, warum dann ein weiterer Text? Grundsätzlich lohnt es immer, sich über die Voraussetzungen des Konsums in unseren Breitengraden Klarheit zu verschaffen. Darüber hinaus scheint dieses Konsum- und Produktionsmodell zusehends perfider ausgestaltet zu werden. Damit große Bekleidungsmarken ihren Wettbewerb zu billigsten Preisen ausfechten können, müssen die eigentlichen Produzent(inn)en immer stärker ausgepresst, die Ausbeutungshierarchien ins Bodenlose verlängert werden – wie das nachfolgende Beispiel zeigt.

Workers confined in Indian mills supplying Hugo Boss (Fibre2Fashion.com):
Modern slavery is still the barrier for the workers in India. Luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss said it has found cases of forced labor, a form of modern slavery, in its supply chain. Young female workers have been held captive behind the walls of garment factories in southern India and prevented from leaving the premises at any time.
....
A recent survey of 743 spinning mills across the region, carried out by the India Committee of the Netherlands, a human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of marginalized people in south Asia, found more than half of the mills were illegally restricting the free movement of resident workers.

False Promises and Mobility Restrictions Plague Migrant Workers in Bengaluru’s Garment Industry (The Wire):
Language barriers, poor living conditions, restrictions on movement and low pay, often below the minimum wage, are some of the problems plaguing migrant workers in Bengaluru’s garment factories, a new report states. Migrant workers, the study has found, are often treated worse than local workers in these factories.
In January 2016, the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation, released a report titled ‘Unfree and Unfair’ focusing on the dismal housing conditions offered to migrant workers in garment factories. Two years later, they went back to see what things are like now – and despite promises made by the major international companies supplying from Bengaluru’s factories in question, not much seems to have changed.
This year’s study, conducted by the ICN in collaboration with the Garment Labour Union, Bangalore and titled Labour Without Liberty, was based on interviews with 63 female workers at three companies manufacturing clothes in Bengaluru. The companies were suppliers for brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, Benetton, C&A, Columbia Sportswear, Decathlon, Gap (Old Navy and Banana Republic), H&M, Levi Strauss and Co. (Levi), Marks & Spencer (M&S) and PVH (Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein).

Modern slavery uncovered in India's garment sector (Just-Style.com):
Female migrants are being exploited by garment factories in India supplying to international fashion brands such as Benetton, Gap Inc, and Levi Strauss, a new report claims, with many subjected to conditions of modern slavery.
The conclusions from the Labour Without Liberty - Female Migrant Workers in Bangalore's Garment Industry report, published by the Indian Garment Labour Union, the India Committee of the Netherlands and Clean Clothes Campaign, highlights the pressure for low wages facing garment factories.

Indian garment factories found "keeping women captive" (Just-Style.com):
Indian garment suppliers for large brands including Hugo Boss, Mothercare, Debenhams and Primark have been enforcing slave labour by holding female workers captive, an investigation has found.
German fashion brand Hugo Boss highlighted an instance of forced labour it had identified at a finished goods supplier in India in its 2016 sustainability report, where it said employees were prevented from leaving the company's premises at any time.
After the audit, the retailer said an action plan was defined in order to resolve the situation immediately, which it said it was monitoring "very closely."
An investigation by The Guardian investigation the report found that Best Corporation, located in Tamil Nadu and used by Hugo Boss, also supplies garments to high-street brands including Next and Mothercare.

Hugo Boss Accused of Forced Labor in India (TriplePundit):
When one thinks of forced labor and other human rights violations within the global apparel industry, fast fashion brands and big box retailers usually come to mind, especially in the wake of the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh.
But according to a recent report on The Guardian, evidence of worker confinement has been found in the supply chain of luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss.
...
One NGO, India Committee of the Netherlands, reported a year ago that various forms of human rights abuses at factories, including forced labor and child slavery, were found in over 90 percent of spinning mills across the country’s southern region.

Workers held captive in Indian mills supplying Hugo Boss (The Guardian):
Luxury fashion retailer Hugo Boss said it has found cases of forced labour, a form of modern slavery, in its supply chain. Young female workers have been held captive behind the walls of garment factories in southern India and prevented from leaving the premises at any time.
...
A recent survey of 743 spinning mills across the region, carried out by the India Committee of the Netherlands, a human rights organisation dedicated to improving the lives of marginalised people in south Asia, found more than half of the mills were illegally restricting the free movement of resident workers.

Mill worker deaths fuels employment concerns in India garment sector (Reuters)/
Mill worker deaths fuels employment concerns in India garment sector (The Business Times):
The death of a 21-year-old woman working in a garment factory in south India has reignited concerns among rights campaigners over the working conditions of low-paid textile workers in the multi-billion dollar industry.

Children stitch shoes for global market in India's tourist magnet (Reuters)/
Children stitch shoes for global market in India's tourist magnet (Malay Mail Online):
Children as young as eight miss school and toil in hazardous conditions to make shoes for the global market in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, campaigners said, calling on shoe brands to work with the local government to clean up their supply chains.

New Report Proposes Strategies for Reducing Child Labour in Agra, India (Fair Labor Association/Stop Child Labour):
Fair Labor Association and Stop Child Labour Recommend Creation of ‘Child Labour Free Zone’ and More Responsible and Transparent Supply Chains in Leather and Footwear Production .

Retrenched Greaves Cotton Workers Demand Answers from the Company (Thozhilalar Koodam):
On 27th November, over 60 workers of Greaves Cotton India, retrenched since April 2016, assembled at the Head Office of Greaves Cotton at Saidapet, Chennai to press their demands. With conciliation efforts with Assistant Commissioner of Labour failing, the case would move to the labour court.

Gældsslaveri og børnearbejde bag granit i Danmark (Danwatch):
Danske køkkener og offentlige torve prydes med granit fra Indien. En ny rapport viser, at migranter arbejder som gældsslaver i de indiske stenbrud, hvor børnearbejde også forekommer.
Vi bruger den smukke, skinnende granit til bordplader, gravsten til kirkegårde og stenbelægning på offentlige pladser. Og her opstår problemerne.
Produktionen af granit i Indien har nemlig store konsekvenser for dem, der udvinder den. En ny rapport, The Dark Sites of Granite, viser, at granit-industrien har massive problemer med gældsslaveri, farlige arbejdsforhold og brug af børnearbejde.

Campaign aims to make Hong Kong a key player in fight against slavery (South China Morning Post):
At least three international companies have committed to join the fight against slavery in a campaign that aims to make Hong Kong the hub in Asia to tackle human-trafficking.
The Slave Free campaign is being launched by Hong Kong law student and anti-human trafficking advocate Julie Lim, who said it has already caught the attention of a cosmetics brand, a clothing retail company and a multinational electronics company. One more business has expressed interest in joining.

Die dunklen Seiten des Granits: Indische Granitsteinbrüche und die Verantwortung der Firmen (Südasien):
Indien gehört zu den Hauptherstellern und –exporteuren von Granitstein. Granit wird in westlichen Lündern häufig für Wand- und Bodenfliesen, Grabsteine oder Arbeitsplatten in der Küche verwendet. Regierungen und Verwaltungen in westlichen Ländern sind wichtige Endkäufer von Granit für Gebäude, Gehsteige, öffentliche Plätze usw. Die Hälfte der weltweiten Exporte von unbearbeitetem Granit stammt aus Indien. Für diesen dekorativen und geschätzten Naturstein muss allerdings ein hoher Preis entrichtet werden, den jedoch hauptsächlich die Arbeitenden in den südindischen Granitsteinbrüchen zahlen.

UK businesses unite to tackle slavery information (Knitting Industry):
Eight of the most influential business leaders in the UK have joined together to spearhead industry action to drive out slavery from supply chains.
...
The workforce in this industry is highly vulnerable, often made up of young girls, who are lured to work in a spinning mill with a promise of accommodation and a lump sum, which can be used for their dowry. In practice, this lump sum is made up of withheld wages, and used as a means to bind workers to the mill. Known as a Sumangali scheme, this practice of bonded labour was found in 351 out of 743 mills in Tamil Nadu in 2016, according to a report by India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

RECTIFICATION regarding report The Dark Sites of Granite (ICN/Stop Child Labour):
On the 29th of September 2017, a revision has been made to the report The Dark Sites of Granite: Modern slavery, child labour and unsafe work in Indian granite quarries - What should companies do? An irregularity was found in the analyses of export data.

Corporate social responsibility will not be taken seriously until Dalits have a seat at the table (Counterview):
In the new economic scenario, the State is increasingly investing in the infrastructure sector at the cost of social sector. In fact, there is an increasing tendency to leave implementation of developmental programs for the vulnerable sections to contracted NGOs, especially those that are dependent on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). These NGOs are registered as public bodies and enjoy tax exemptions. Time has come to focus on their good governance, to bring them under public scrutiny.

John Lewis and Habitat pull worktops over slavery link (CIPS):
John Lewis and Habitat have removed certain granite worktops from their collections after an investigation found evidence of modern slavery in their supply chains.
A report by India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) investigated the working conditions of South Indian granite quarries. The results revealed rampant labour abuse including low wages, child labour and unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.

UK shops pull India granite (EasternEye):
Two leading British retailers have pulled a range of luxury granite worktops from sale after rights groups found that many of the labourers mining the rock in southern Indian quarries are victims of modern slavery.
John Lewis, Britain’s biggest department store group, said it was also investigating granite sources in its supply chains, following a recent report on workers’ rights in quarries in three Indian states by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

Reaction of India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) on statements of John Lewis, Habitat and Nobilia (ICN):
... in the article "John Lewis and Habitat halt sale of worktops over slavery claims, stone sold in UK shops is from Indian quarries that abuse human rights, investigation reveals" in The Observer, Sunday 3 September 2017.

Flintshire firm sourcing granite from child labour quarry according to a major human rights report (Invest Money UK):
A Buckley based kitchen worktop supplier has been named in a damning report on working conditions in granite quarries in India.
A report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and Stop Child Labour has revealed major human rights and labour rights violations.

Top UK Retailers Withdraw Indian Granite Over Child Labour Concerns (Little India):
Two leading retail chains in the United Kingdom have withdrawn a range of granite worktops from their stores following reports that the rock is mined in India by child workers. The retail groups, John Lewis and Habitat, took the decision after investigations revealed that their Indian supply chains are riddled with issues such as debt bondage, underage workers, and unsafe working conditions in quarries.
Many other firms dealing in granite products such as kitchen counters, tiles, fireplaces and tombstones may also look into their supply chains following a recent report on workers’ rights in quarries in three Indian states by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN). The report revealed that over half of the labourers employed in the industry in these states work under dangerous conditions because they have to repay big loans, and get caught in a cycle of debt bondage.

Top UK retailers pull granite worktops from shops over Indian slavery fears (Thomas Reuters Foundation)/
Top UK retailers pull granite worktops from shops over Indian slavery fears (Reuters)/
Top UK retailers pull granite worktops from shops over Indian slavery fears (Mail Online):
Two leading British retailers have pulled a range of luxury granite worktops from sale after rights groups found that many of the labourers mining the rock in southern Indian quarries are victims of modern slavery.
John Lewis, Britain's biggest department store group, said it was also investigating granite sources in its supply chains, following a recent report on workers' rights in quarries in three Indian states by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

Habitat and John Lewis remove products connected to child labour (Retail Gazette):
Habitat and John Lewis have stopped selling certain granite worktops after it was revealed that child labour and slavery may have been used to mine them.
Findings from a new study conducted by the India Committee of The Nederlands (ICN) revealed that many of India’s major granite mines violated labour and human rights laws.

John Lewis and Habitat remove granite worktops over fears of slavery (MetroUK):
Concerns over slavery and child labour has forced John Lewis and Habitat to withdraw a range of granite worktops from stores.
...
The India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour investigated 22 quarries and six waste stone processing sites in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

John Lewis and Habitat withdraw granite worktops over slavery concerns (The Guardian):
Supply chains of high street retailers under scrutiny after investigators uncover evidence of human rights violations and child labour in Indian stone quarries.
...
India is the largest global producer of granite, accounting for 49% of the world’s raw stone export in 2015. Three-quarters of the country’s granite is mined in just three states – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. An investigation of 22 quarries and six waste stone processing sites in these states, recently published by the Dutch organisations India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and Stop Child Labour, revealed major human rights and labour rights violations.

John Lewis and Habitat halt sale of worktops over slavery claims (The Observer):
Stone sold in UK shops is from Indian quarries that abuse human rights, investigation reveals.
British retailers have withdrawn a range of granite worktops from sale over concerns that their supply chains may be associated with slavery and child labour.
John Lewis and Habitat are among a number of UK businesses selling granite products such as kitchen worktops, tiles and gravestones that have also come under pressure to investigate their supply chains after a report discovered that debt bondage, underage workers and unsafe, unhealthy working conditions are part of daily working life in Indian quarries.
India is the largest global producer of granite, accounting for 49% of the world’s raw stone export in 2015. Threequarters of the country’s granite is mined in three states – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
An investigation of 22 quarries and six waste stone processing sites in these states carried out by the Dutch organisations India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and Stop Child Labour, revealed major human rights and labour rights violations.

UK chains withdraw granite range over slavery concerns (Financial Express)/
UK chains withdraw granite range over slavery concerns (Crowdz)/
UK Firms John Lewis And Habitat Withdraw Granite Worktops Over Child Slavery Concerns In India (HuffPost India - Sep 4, 2017)/
UK chains withdraw granite range over slavery concerns (City Today - Sep 4, 2017):
Leading UK retail chains like John Lewis and Habitat have withdrawn granite products from their range over fears of child labour and slavery within its Indian supply chains.
...
An investigation of 22 quarries and six waste stone processing sites in these states were recently published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and Stop Child Labour and revealed human rights and labour rights violations.

Dutch firms get granite from child labour quarries in India (New Europe):
Human rights groups in the Netherlands have harshly criticised three Dutch companies for importing granite – used to make luxury kitchen countertops – from Indian quarries that use child labour.
As reported by Dutch News online, the claims are based on investigation into working conditions and export data.

‘Children, bonded workers slave in India’s granite quarries’ (The Times of India):
Many homes have granite floors and kitchen platforms; granite is regularly used on tombstones. While using these sleek, easy-to-clean surfaces, we seldom pause to consider the conditions under which the stone is extracted and processed. A report released by Dutch NGOs Stop Child Labour, India Committee of the Netherlands and Kerk in Actie (Church in Action) shows that half the global export of granite is from India; about 10% of all natural stone traded on the world market is from India, which is one of the top five producers of the world's natural stone. Yet, conditions in stone quarries are deplorable.

India: Modern Slavery in Granite Quarries (The Sri Lanka Guardian)/
India: Modern Slavery in Granite Quarries (VisitSriLanka.com - Aug 25, 2017):
New research, commissioned by the India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour, reveals that modern slavery, low wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions are rampant in granite quarries in South India. In some quarries, especially in waste stone processing, child labour is found.

Dark Sites of Indian Granite Quarries: Modern Slavery, Child Labour and Unsafe Work (India Resists):
New research, commissioned by the India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour, reveals that modern slavery, low wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions are rampant in granite quarries in South India. In some quarries, especially in waste stone processing, child labour is found.

TFT response to ICN report 'The Dark Sites of Granite’ (TFT-Earth):
The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) this week published a report into working conditions in the granite industry in India. TFT welcomes all attempts to highlight the concerns in this industry and encourage companies to improve the situation. Poor working and employment conditions, few drivers for improvement, small margins and a fragmented industry are just a few of the barriers to sustainable change, but they are slowly being overcome by those companies committed to change. We recognise the issues ICN raises in this report and support the call to action – more companies throughout the supply chain need to do more to ensure that the people making these products are respected.

Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens: report (New Straits Times)/
Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, says report (Malay Mail Online)/
Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens (The Express Tribune)/
Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens (Breaking News Pakistan)/
Indians miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, report says (DNA India)/
‘No Helmets, Goggles, Shoes’: Indian Miners’ Safety Being Compromised, Says Report (NDTV Every Life Counts - Aug 24, 2017):
Six out of 10 labourers toiling in southern Indian quarries for granite for tiles, fireplaces and kitchen counters around the world are working in dangerous conditions to repay huge loans, charities mapping the hidden supply chain said on Wednesday.
Governments are among the buyers of granite from India, one of the world’s largest exporters of the rock, using it in offices and to landscape public spaces in cities, the rights group India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) said in a report.

The dark sites of granite: modern slavery, child labour and unsafe work in Indian Granite Quarries (India Environment Portal):
New research, commissioned by the India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour, reveals that modern slavery, low wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions are rampant in granite quarries in South India. In some quarries, especially in waste stone processing, child labour is found.

New report: The Dark Sites of Granite (Stop Child Labour):
Modern slavery, child labour and unsafe work in Indian granite quarries – What should companies do?
New research, commissioned by the India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour, reveals that modern slavery, low wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions are rampant in granite quarries in South India. In some quarries, especially in waste stone processing, child labour is found.

Three Dutch firms are sourcing granite from child labour quarries (DutchNews.nl):
Three Dutch companies which import stone from abroad have bought granite from quarries in India where child labour is used, Trouw said on Wednesday.
Some of the workers in the quarries are also vulnerable to debt slavery because of debts owed to their employer, according to a new report by three Dutch NGOs. The NGOs base their claims on an investigation into working conditions and export data.

India: Report finds modern slavery, child labour & unsafe work at granite quarries - What should companies do? (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre):
New research ... reveals that modern slavery, low wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions are rampant in granite quarries in South India. In some quarries, especially in waste stone processing, child labour is found. There is an enormous gap in working conditions between permanent workers (mainly supervisors) and casual workers (70% of the workforce). The first group receives safety equipment, insurance and an employment contract, while the casual labourers doing the dangerous manual work, lack those fundamental labour rights.

Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, report says (The Times of India):
Six out of 10 labourers toiling in southern Indian quarries for granite for tiles, fireplaces and kitchen counters around the world are working in dangerous conditions to repay huge loans, charities mapping the hidden supply chain said on Wednesday.
Governments are among the buyers of granite from India, one of the world's largest exporters of the rock, using it in offices and to landscape public spaces in cities, the rights group India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) said in a report.

Dutch companies sell granite mined by Indian child laborers: report (NL Times):
At least three Dutch companies sold granite that came from quarries in India using child laborers or debt slaves, according to a study by Dutch groups Landelijke India Werkgroep, Stop Kinderarbed and Kerk in Actie, newspaper Trouw reported on Thursday.
The study focused on South Indian states. The researchers investigated the working conditions in 22 quarries and at six locations where granite is processed. In seven quarries they found child labor and in nine debt slavery - where someone is forced to work unpaid to settle debt.

Indians miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, report says (Reuters)/
RPT-Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, report says (Reuters)/
Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, report says (Thomson Reuters Foundation)/
Indian miners risk death for granite tiles (Oman Observer)/
Indian miners risk death for granite tiles and kitchens, report says (Mining.com - Aug 24, 2017):
Six out of 10 laborers toiling in southern Indian quarries for granite for tiles, fireplaces and kitchen counters around the world are working in dangerous conditions to repay huge loans, charities mapping the hidden supply chain said on Wednesday.
Governments are among the buyers of granite from India, one of the world's largest exporters of the rock, using it in offices and to landscape public spaces in cities, the rights group India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) said in a report.

Schmutziger Granit (Süddeutsche Zeitung):
NGO-Studie untersucht die Arbeitsbedingungen in indischen Steinbrüchen und deckt erhebliche Missstände auf. Doch kaum ein deutscher Abnehmer von Naturstein fühlt sich verantwortlich.

Over 300 textile units in India enter agreement with Netherlands on fair wages, sustainable environment (The Times of India):
Rajasthan is known across the world for the variety of its textile traditions its tie-and-dye and block printing. However, since the 1990s, concerns have been raised that the water-starved state was encouraging dyeing units at huge risk to groundwater and natural water sources. Pali, Jodhpur and Balotra towns, where textile units are concentrated, have been in the news for the massive pollution of water sources and the trouble residents face in getting safe drinking water. Now, under the initiative of the government of Netherlands, a huge importer of fabrics and also a champion of labour and environment issues, over 300 textile and garment units in India have agreed transition to production practices that ensure safety and well-being of workers and protection of the environment.

The Dark Sides of Granite: Modern slavery, child labour and unsafe work in Indian granite quarries - What should companies do? [summary report The Dark Sides of Granite] (ICN/Stop Child Labour/Kerk in Actie):
New research, commissioned by the India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour, reveals that modern slavery, low wages and unsafe and unhealthy working conditions are rampant in granite quarries in South India. In some quarries child labour is found. There is also an enormous difference in working conditions between permanent workers (mainly those in supervising positions) and casual workers.

Dutch sustainable sourcing pact maps suppliers (Just-Style.vom):
A Dutch agreement on international responsible business conduct in the global garment and textile sector, says it is a step closer to responsible garment production after revealing participating businesses will state which factories produce their clothing for the first time.
Launched last year by a coalition of parties, and led by the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER), the Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector agreement works to improve labour rights and worker conditions.

‘CSR by global brands must look beyond tier-1 of leather supply chain in India’ (The Hindu Business Line):
Ethical trade and corporate social responsibility (CSR) may be the stated top priorities of global brands, but most high-end leather footwear, garments and accessories brands sourcing goods from three Indian hubs — Agra, Kolkata and Tamil Nadu — are unaware of poor wages, caste and gender discrimination, appalling working conditions and environment hazards beyond the first-tier of the supply chain, says a recent report by a Dutch non-profit organisation, ICN.

Damning report on conditions of leather workers (Thozhilalar Koodam):
In March 2017, the India Committee for the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights NGO, published a report titled Do leather workers matter? The report focused on the three major leather production regions – Kolkata, Agra and the Vaniyambadi-Ambur area in Tamil Nadu. Apart from the literature research, the report draws from interviews with 166 workers of 46 companies and 14 home workshops in 2011 and 2012.

Dalit Workers in India’s Leather Industry Suffer Serious Rights Abuses – India Committee of the Netherlands Report (Velivada):
A report released by the India Committee of the Netherlands finds that workers in India’s leather industry suffer serious labour and human rights violations. Most of the 2,5 million leather workers are found to be Dalits and Muslims, exploited due to their marginalised status. India supplies leather to huge global brands.

‘Locals have become too aware of their rights’: Why Bengaluru garment factories are hiring migrants (scroll.in):
The fashion industry’s requirements for cheaper and faster labour have prompted companies to focus on rural India.

For Bengaluru’s garment hub workers, the minimum wage is actually the maximum wage (scroll.in):
From April 2016 to January 2017, apparel exports grew by 4.5%. But the narrative that the cost of labour is squeezing the industry is a constant refrain.

The Bengaluru garment workers who stitched your branded clothes have probably still not been paid (scroll.in):
Small strikes over unpaid wages continue to erupt in garment hub that saw massive protests last year.

Report shines light on human rights, labour abuses in India’s leather industry (EasternEye):
A new report has highlighted the hazardous conditions in some of India’s leather industries, with some 2.5 million workers said to endure unacceptable working conditions that violate their human rights and pose a serious risk to their health while making garments for western markets.
Among the findings was the major impact that the toxic chemicals used in tanneries have had on workers, many of whom suffer from skin diseases, eye inflammation and cancer.

Indian homeworkers sewing shoes for major footwear brands (HomeWorkers Worldwide):
Great to see this important new report on exploitation in the Indian leather industry from India Committee of the Netherlands recognise that female homeworkers are ‘among the most precarious workers … (facing) insecure and unprotected work, poverty wages and unsafe working conditions.’ The report also usefully summarises responses from major footwear retailers.

Report examines grim Bangladesh leather trade, links to West (AP News):
Hazardous, heavily polluting tanneries, with workers as young as 14, supplied leather to companies that make shoes and handbags for a host of Western brands, a nonprofit group that investigates supply chains says.
The report by New York-based Transparentem, released Friday to The Associated Press, didn’t say the leather ends up in American and European companies’ products, only that the manufacturers of some of those goods receive it.
Some companies say leather in their products was made outside Bangladesh, and manufacturers concur. Still, in response to the report, most brands switched factories, banned Bangladesh leather or demanded improvements.

Western brands respond to report on Bangladesh tanneries (NZ Herald):
Leather made with child labor and under dangerous, polluted conditions in Bangladesh went to factories that produced goods for major U.S. and European shoe and handbag brands and companies, according to a report released Friday by New York-based nonprofit Transparentem. Those named in the report generally said they were concerned about the conditions at the tanneries, but that leather used in their particular products was made elsewhere.
Here’s a detailed look at their responses.

Report: Dalit workers in India’s leather industry suffer serious rights abuses (IDSN):
A report released by the India Committee on the Netherlands finds that workers in India’s leather industry suffer serious labour and human rights violations. Most of the 2,5 million leather workers are found to be Dalits and Muslims, exploited due to their marginalised status. India supplies leather to huge global brands.

ICN Calls on Major Brands to Address Exploitation in Indian Leather Industry (Sustainable Brands):
The textile and apparel industries are widely known to have considerable environmental and social impacts on both local and global levels. The leather industry is no exception — in India, approximately 2.5 million workers are exposed to poor working conditions that violate their human rights and negatively affect their health. Exposure to toxic chemicals, unfair wages, child labor, discrimination of Dalits (‘outcastes’) and the difficulty to organize in trade unions are just some of the many challenges workers face according to a new report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

Brands urged to tackle exploitation in India's leather industry (Just-Style.com):
An increase in the traceability and transparency of the full supply chain is just one of the recommendations made to brands and retailers sourcing leather from India, in a new report that claims the rights of leather workers in the country are systematically violated.
The 'Do leather workers matter?' research by the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN), found that around 2.5m workers in the Indian leather industry often face unacceptable working conditions that violate their human rights and seriously affect their health.

Leather industry reacts to ICN human rights report (Leather International):
A long-awaited report on human rights issues in the Indian leather supply chain has been published.
Human rights organisation India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) called for greater transparency after finding that around 2.5 million workers often face unacceptable working conditions.

Report highlights violation of labour rights in Indian leather industry (Apparel Resources):
According to Do leather workers matter – Violating labour rights and environmental norms in India’s leather production report, female homeworkers face insecure and unprotected work, receive poverty wages and work under unsafe conditions in tanneries. Moreover, children are often involved in leather production in India, mostly in the unorganized part of the sector, working in smaller tanneries and workshops.

Indian leather workers risk health, life to make shoes for global market: report (Thomson Reuters Foundation):
About 2.5 million Indian workers work long hours with toxic chemicals for poverty wages in the country's leather industry, making shoes and clothes for Western brands, a study has found.
In a report published on Wednesday, the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation, called for greater transparency in supply chains.

Awareness of workplace hazards and preventive measures among sandstone mineworkers in Rajasthan, India: A cross-sectional study (Journal of Health and Social Sciences):
The aim of this study was to assess awareness of workplace hazards and personal protective equipments (PPEs) among mineworkers employed in a sandstone quarry in Rajasthan, India.

10,000 signatures for living wage handed over to Minister Ploumen: Consumer fed up with starvation wages in garment industry (press release CCC/ICN):
Thousands of Dutch consumers want Minister Ploumen [of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation] to provide a living wage for garment workers. Through a petition of Clean Clothes Campaign and the India Committee of the Netherlands 10,734 Dutch people call on Ploumen to do so.

Child Labour Due Diligence Law for companies adopted by Dutch Parliament (ICN)
On February 7, 2017 the Child Labour Due Diligence Law [‘Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid’], initiated by member Van Laar (Labour Party), was adopted by the Dutch Parliament, with 82 votes (of 150 MPs) in favour. The parties CDA (Christian Democrats), VVD (People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy) and PVV (Party for Freedom) voted against. The law requires companies to examine whether child labour occurs in their production chain. If that is the case they should develop a plan of action to combat child labour and draw up a declaration about their investigation and plan of action. That statement will be recorded in a public register by a yet to be designated public authority.

Garment brands contribute to low wages & child labour in Bangladesh (Stop Child Labour):
The average worker in the Bangladeshi garment industry is getting paid only one third of what is considered to be a living wage. Low wages and long working hours have been found to play a key role in parents’ decisions to take their children out of school and let them work in various jobs. Many international garment brands, including but not only H&M, C&A, Esprit, Marks & Spencer, GAP, VF Corporation and Kmart Australia, contribute to this situation.
These are important findings of the report Branded Childhood that is published by Stop Child Labour and SOMO today.

No Sexual Harassment - The fight against sexual violence at work (ICN):
Brochure of the India Committee of the Netherlands and Mondiaal FNV on sexual violence at work. Published on the occasion of a meeting of international experts - mainly women - from Bangladesh, India, Argentina, Tanzania, Myanmar, Indonesia and the Netherlands.

The warp and weft of exploitation (The Hindu):
Women lured by the Sumangali scheme to work in textile mills endure harassment, exploitation and even sexual abuse.
...
The recently-released Fabric of Slavery report of the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN) gives expression to the exploitation in the mills through facts and percentages. The report, based on a study in 743 spinning mills in Dindigul, Tirupur, Namakkal, and Erode districts, says: “Young women workers face intimidation, sexually coloured remarks and harassment, which they can hardly escape.” The study was conducted between July and December 2015. Eight researchers and 40 volunteers interviewed 2,286 workers from these mills and held focus group discussions.

Brands urged to tackle child slavery in India spinning mills (Just-Style.com):
Various forms of modern slavery, including child slavery, have been found in around 90% of spinning mills in South India producing yarn that makes its way into garment factories in India, Bangladesh and China supplying western brands and retailers, a new report claims.
The Fabric of Slavery research by the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN), found the majority of women working in the 743 spinning mills investigated in Tamil Nadu were aged between 14 and 18 years. Around 10-20% of the women were younger than 14.

India Committee of the Netherlands research finds large-scale violations in Indian spinning mills (The Freedom Fund):
A new report – Fabric of Slavery – published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) exposes the scale of human rights violations against girls and young women in spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, South India. Although the textile industry is vital for jobs and the local economy, this new research finds that abuses amounting to forms of modern slavery such as withholding wages, lack of freedom of movement, excessive working hours, and sexual harassment are widespread.

Fabric of Slavery: Large-scale child slavery in Indian spinning mills making yarn for international garment brands (press release ICN):
New research by the India Committee of Netherlands (ICN) shows that various forms of modern slavery, including child slavery, are found in more than 90% of the spinning mills in South India. These spinning mills produce yarn for India, Bangladeshi and Chinese garment factories that produce for the Western market.

India, anche le piantagioni di tè certificate violano i diritti dei lavoratori (Lifegate):
Uno studio condotto da alcune organizzazioni indiane mostra gravi violazioni degli standard di sostenibilità nelle piantagioni di tè in India, in particolare per i diritti dei lavoratori.

Dutch retailers underpaying Indian workers (news.com.au):
Dutch fashion retailers are paying "starvation wages" at factories in a major hub for the global garment industry in southern India, forcing many workers into crippling debt, a report shows. "Workers cannot properly support their families with this wage," said the report, co-authored by Clean Clothes Campaign, the India Committee of the Netherlands, Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Cividep India.

Garment workers of Karnataka, TN not getting even ‘living wage’: study (The Hindu BusinessLine)/
Garment workers of Karnataka, TN not getting even ‘living wage’: study (Karnataka.IndiaEveryday)/
Garment workers of Karnataka, TN not getting even ‘living wage’: study (News Letter Citi India - Oct 5, 2016):
More than one-third of workers, a majority of them women, in some factories in South India that produce clothing for Dutch brands, such as C&A, Coolcat, G-Star, McGregor, MEXX, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, The Sting and WE Fashion, are not being paid the official minimum wage leave alone a ‘living’ wage, says a new study.
In fact, none of the garment workers in 10 factories located in Karnataka (Peenya and Bommassandra) and Tamil Nadu earns a living wage, and women workers get paid lower than men doing the same work, says the study, Doing Dutch – Research into the State of Pay for Workers in Garment Factories in India working for Dutch fashion brands.

Public Procurement and Human Rights in the Netherlands: the case of natural stone (International Learning Lab on Public Procurement and Human Rights):
Sandstone and granite are used for paving public spaces like streets and squares and for tiling walls and floors in public buildings like office blocks, train stations and airports. This makes public authorities important consumers of natural stone. Despite sustainable procurement policies, governments often opt for the cheapest stone, not taking into account human rights and environmental impacts in production countries.

Marcas holandesas acusadas de explorar trabalhadores (Portugal Têxtil):
Os retalhistas holandeses estão a pagar “salários de miséria” nas fábricas de um dos principais centros de produção mundial de vestuário no sul da Índia, forçando muitos trabalhadores a contraírem dívidas. A afirmação é do estudo Doing Dutch, realizado por quatro organizações não-governamentais (Clean Clothes Campaign, India Committee of the Netherlands, Asia Floor Wage Alliance e Cividep India), que inquiriram trabalhadores em 10 unidades de produção de vestuário em Bangalore e arredores, que concluiu que cada um leva para casa, em média, 90 euros e que 70% está endividado.

C&A Statement on Clean Clothes Campaign / ICN Report "Doing Dutch" (C-and-A.com):
C&A appreciates that Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has shared the draft report entitled “Doing Dutch” upfront and engaged us regarding our position and perspective on a variety of issues relating to Bangalore. We value CCCs input and insight and view it as a support and complement to our ongoing efforts towards the improvement of worker’s rights in our sourcing countries.
C&A has been in multiple conversations with CCC and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) regarding this topic and we have provided a formal response to the report in May 2016.

Raport: holenderskie firmy odzieżowe płacą w Indiach "głodowe pensje" (money.pl)/
Raport: holenderskie firmy odzieżowe płacą w Indiach "głodowe pensje" (onet.biznes):
Holenderskie firmy odzieżowe, szyjące ubrania pod znanymi markami w fabrykach w południowych Indiach, płacą pracownikom "głodowe pensje", zmuszając wielu z nich do wyniszczającego zadłużania się - głosi opublikowany we wtorek raport.

Dutch petition: Workers exploited, shun garments made in India (The Times of India)/
Dutch petition: Workers exploited, shun garments made in India (indian364):
The living wage for workers in India is Euro 256 (about Rs19,000). A recent interview of workers at garment factories that were manufacturing for sales in the Netherlands found that more than a third of workers were paid less than 100 euros (about Rs7,500).
The survey results were published in the report Doing Dutch: Research into the state of pay for workers in garment factories in India working for Dutch fashion brands. Human rights organization India Committee of the Netherlands has now begun a petition in Dutch appealing to people to buy only clothes that are not produced by exploiting poor labourers.
"Most workers cannot properly support their families with this wage. Food and housing, usually a one-room apartment without water tap, with a shared toilet outdoors, are the biggest expenses. Almost everyone would like to buy healthier and more varied food, but is unable to do that because of low wages," said a press release issued on Tuesday by Gerard Oonk, director, India Committee of the Netherlands.

Le sourcing indien des marques sous le feu des critiques (Fashion Network):
Un rapport largement relayé venant des Pays-Bas lance la polémique autour d'enseignes et marques payant des « salaires de misère » dans les usines d'un centre de confection textile situé dans le sud de l'Inde, forçant de nombreux travailleurs à accumuler les dettes.
Les ouvriers interrogés, qui travaillent dans 10 usines de la région de Bangalore, dans le sud de l'Inde, sont rémunérés 90 euros par mois en moyenne, et 70 % d'entre eux sont endettés, selon les conclusions du rapport, écrit par quatre organisations à but non lucratif.
Les usines en question fournissent des marques néerlandaises qui ont « reconnu l'importance d'un salaire décent ». Parmi ces dernières, Coolcat, The Sting, Mexx Europe, McGregor Fashion, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, WE Fashion et C&A. La Fondation C&A s'est associée avec la Fondation Thomson Reuters pour combattre l'esclavage et la traite des personnes.

Dutch Retailers Paying “Starvation Wages” to Indian Textile Workers (Newsweek Middle East)/
Dutch retailers paying "starvation wages" to Indian textile workers - report (Thomson Reuters Foundation)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers: report (Reuters)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers (Gulf Digital News)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers (Fashion Network)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers: report (FirstPost.com)/
Dutch retailers paying "starvation wages" to Indian textile workers - report (Mail Online)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers - report (Yahoo! News)/
Dutch retailers paying "starvation wages" to Indian textile staff – report – India F1 information (Serendipitous Panda)/
Dutch retailers paying ‘starvation wages’ (Arab Times - Sep 28, 2016)/
Dutch retailers profitable "starvation wages" to Indian weave workers (Samanta News - Sep 28, 2016)/
India: Dutch retailers paying starvation wages to Indian textile workers (All Of Textiles - Sep 28, 2016)/
Dutch retailers paying 'starvation wages' to Indian textile workers - report (Channel News Asia - Sep 28, 2016)/
Dutch brands pay ‘starvation wages’ to Indian garment workers: Report (Apparel Resources - Sep 28, 2016):
Dutch fashion retailers are paying "starvation wages" at factories in a major hub for the global garment industry in southern India, forcing many workers into crippling debt, a report on Tuesday showed.
Workers surveyed at 10 garment factories in and around Bengaluru in the southern Indian state of Karnataka took home on average 90 euros ($100) a month, and 70 percent were in debt, the report by four non-profit organizations said.
The factories were supplying Dutch brands that have "acknowledged the importance of living wages".
They included Coolcat, G-Star, The Sting, MEXX Europe, McGregor Fashions, Scotch & Soda, Suitsupply, WE Fashion and C&A. The C&A Foundation partners with the Thomson Reuters Foundation on trafficking and slavery coverage.
"Workers cannot properly support their families with this wage," said the report, Doing Dutch, co-authored by Clean Clothes Campaign, the India Committee of the Netherlands, Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Cividep India.

Dutch companies producing garments in India often pay less than minimum wage: Study (TwoCircles.net):
The working conditions in factories in India that produce for Dutch clothing brands are downright bad. No garment worker earns a living wage. More than one third of the workers not even get the official minimum wage. Mandatory overtime is often not paid, intimidation is widespread and women earn even less than men. Also, some factories do not take care of social insurances and medical expenses. That, and more, emerges from the study Doing Dutch – Research into the state of pay for workers in garment factories in India working for Dutch fashion brands published today by the (Dutch) Clean Clothes Campaign and the India Committee of the Netherlands.
The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) is a human rights organisation dedicated to improving the lives of the marginalized in South Asia by giving information, awareness raising, advocacy, lobby, networking, research and publicity.

Doing Dutch: New report into pay of garment workers making clothes for Dutch brands (HomeWorkers Worldwide):
A new report, published by India Committee of the Netherlands and the Clean Clothes Campaign, has exposed the low pay and poor working conditions in factories in India that produce for European clothing brands.

Dutch media focuses on abuses in the Indian textile sector (SOMO):
Indian textile workers make clothing in harrowing conditions for clothing chain stores such as C&A and H&M. The workers are barely permitted to leave the factory site, are paid more than a quarter of their wages only after three years, and there are no trade unions. These findings were published by the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant in early September, after a visit, together with SOMO, to the textile factory KPR Mill. Other Dutch and Belgian newspapers, television and radio also showed interest in the story. Dutch political parties submitted written questions about this issue in Parliament. H&M and C&A both responded in the press.

Invitation to meeting Violence against women in the workplace worldwide (ICN/Mondiaal FNV):
What do women in the garment factories in Asia, Africa and Latin America have to endure with regard to sexual and other violence at work? How do they oppose it and how can we support them?
Sexual and other violence against women in garment factories in India, Bangladesh but also in countries in Africa and Latin America is a very big problem. The extent and severity of the problem became painfully clear in a recent study on garment factories in the Indian city of Bangalore. This report showed that one out of seven female workers in garment factories in Bangalore is forced into sexual acts and that one out of fourteen encounters physical violence in the workplace.

India: Working conditions improved at Rainforest Alliance certified tea estates but more to be done, concludes a report (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre):
The report Certified Unilever Tea - A Cup Half Empty, published by the India Committee of the Netherlands...provides evidence that working conditions at two Rainforest Alliance...certified Indian tea estates providing tea to Unilever have improved but continue to be not ‘up to standard’, in particular for casual workers.

Sustainability certified India tea estates violate worker rights: report (Reuters):
Tea estates in southern India are hiring temporary workers during peak plucking season and denying these laborers basic rights as required by law, said a report released on Tuesday.
A survey in the southern state of Tamil Nadu at two tea estates - both certified by the international nonprofit Rainforest Alliance - found that in 2015, up to half of the workforce were temporary workers, and most were migrants or retirees.

European deal on textile industry sustainability (fibre2fashion.com):
The Foreign Trade Association (FTA), the leading business association of European and international commerce promoting the values of international trade and sustainable supply chains, signed the Statement of Support for the Dutch Garment and Textiles agreement on Monday.

75 firms sign up to Dutch sustainable sourcing pact (Just-Style.com):
A Dutch agreement on international responsible business conduct in the global garment and textile sector, aimed at improving labour rights and worker conditions, has been signed by around 75 companies and endorsed by the Foreign Trade Association (FTA). The Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector agreement, which was initially formed in March, has now been signed by businesses representing more than one-third of the revenue generated in the Dutch market. The aim is for at least 50% of the Dutch garment and textile sector to sign the agreement by 2018, and 80% by 2020.

FTA Endorses Dutch Garment And Textiles Agreement (Sourcing Journal):
The European and international commerce business association on Monday signed a “statement of support” for the Dutch Garment and Textiles Agreement, to promote trade values and sustainable supply chains. To date, 55 companies have pledged to the agreement, which includes more than 20 FTA Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) participants.
“The agreement is an important example of how multisector collaboration between business and stakeholders can lead to even more effective and committed improvements in global supply chains,” FTA director general Christian Ewert said. “However, while FTA welcomes such national projects, we believe that these initiatives should not lose sight of the broader EU goal of creating a global approach that provides a common framework and avoids duplication of standards and fragmentation.”

Stop Child Labour signs Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector Covenant (Stop Child Labour):
Stop Child Labour signed a Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector Covenant today, together with 55 businesses, their trade organisations, the Dutch government and several other NGOs. A broad coalition has joined forces in this agreement. It is the first time, in the Netherlands and worldwide, that such a large group of companies has committed themselves to work together towards a more sustainable garment and textile industry.

75 signatures endorse Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector agreement (SER):
This morning, 55 businesses, their representative organisations VGT, Modint and INretail, Solidaridad, UNICEF Netherlands, the India Committee of the Netherlands, the Stop Child Labour Coalition, Four Paws Netherlands, Dutch trade unions FNV and CNV and the National Government of the Netherlands signed the Agreement on a Sustainable Garment and Textile Sector. This is the first in a series of agreements on international responsible business conduct that aim to improve the sustainability of international production and supply chains.

EU: European Commission ignores child labor, critics say (IPSNews.net/TradingCharts.com/TMCnet.com):
Each time European Union officials take a coffee break, there is a reasonable chance that the contents of their cups originated from a plantation where young children do grueling work.

Mass health camp on silicosis in Budhpura (No Child Left Behind):
On the 27th of May, Manjari has organised a mass health camp to raise awareness on silicosis among workers in the sandstone industry and screen workers on the occupational disease. Silicosis is an incurable occupational lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust.

Walmart, Gap supplier factory workers exploited in India (Rediff):
Some workers in India were also make to work on Sundays and national holidays "in sweltering heat, without adequate supply of clean drinking water or any breaks".

SDGs: are we Ready for Change? (Partos):
According to the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should focus on the ‘poorest of the poor’ and assessments of the impact of all new policy measures on the SDGs should be undertaken. These are but a few of the take-aways of the Ready for Change? conference, which was held on 19 May 2016 in Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam. After the presentation of the Ready for Change? publication, the implementation of the goals was discussed by an expert panel. Eight different SDG themes were tackled during the afternoon workshop programme, after which the conference was closed by an interview on the political dimension of the SDGs.

In India's quarries, workers die to make pretty garden tiles (Thomson Reuters Foundation News):
Many workers in Indian stone quarries, including children, dying of incurable lung disease to produce garden and kitchen tiles.

NGOs at it again! Findings of ‘Unfree and Unfair’ on living conditions of migratory workers in Bangalore raise questions on credibility of such reports (Apparel Resources):
Apparel Online was surprised to see a report Unfree and Unfair recently, wherein the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), an independent NGO has made some serious allegations against India’s top exporters in Bangalore that run hostel facilities for their workers. On the base of desk research and interviews with 110 migrant workers from rural Karnataka and other states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, employed at four garment factories – Shahi Exports, Texport Industries, Arvind Ltd., and K Mohan in Bangalore, the ICN claims that garment workers still face serious issues like poor living conditions and has restricted freedom of movement despite stated commitments on the part of big brands to address these problems. Ironically, the very lopsided report with no discussion or clarification from the company owners in a positive feedback, admits that the wages at all the four factories are slightly above the minimum wage rate fixed by the State Government.

Low wages, poor housing and now EPF: Garment workers’ protest in Bengaluru was inevitable (Firstpost):
The garment workers' violent stir in the beginning of this week in Bengaluru may have died down, with the central government withdrawing the provident fund amendment, but what is apparent is that this was one protest that was just waiting to happen.
...
Meanwhile, let’s not lose heart. It’s not as though no action is taking place. The Economic Times reported in March this year that Indian firms who supply apparel, even if it is to foreign brands such as Gap, H&M and Marks & Spencer, will now be scrutinised for unfair trade practices. This decision was taken after a consortium of international agencies, including Unicef, Stop Child Labour and Solidaridad, signed an agreement on this issue.
This agreement was in response to a paper published by The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) in January 2016. Titled Unfree and Unfair, the paper highlighted how young migrant garment workers live in appalling conditions. Unfree and Unfair studied the conditions for migrant workers in four garment factories – K Mohan, Texport Industries, Arvind Ltd Exports and Shahi Exports.

Fear and clothing in Bengaluru (Bangalore Mirror):
Varalakshmi BS, 20, was agitated when we spoke to her on Monday. She had just been shooed away by cops for sitting outside the regional PF office in Singasandra. She was part of a group of garment factory workers protesting against the amendment to the Provident Fund Act, which now prevented them from withdrawing the employer's contribution towards their PF corpus till the age of 58.
...
The industry manufactures apparel for some of the world's leading clothing brands. Yet the conditions under which young migrant women work are appalling, sometimes even amounting to modern-day slavery, says a study by human rights organisation, India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

Sweatshops for sweatshirts (Bangalore Mirror):
Leading multinational brands told researchers that more work needs to be done in order to provide them with better living conditions.
"Most of the leading multinational brands like GAP, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Inditex (ZARA) and C&A source from Bengaluru. According to official figures, there are 962 officially registered garment factories. However, it is estimated that there are around 1,200 garment factories in total in and around Bengaluru. The industry manufactures apparel for some of the world's leading clothing brands. Yet the conditions under which these young migrant women work are appalling, sometimes even amounting to modern day slavery," says the study by human rights organisation, India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

The Netherlands establishes Textile Covenant (Made-By):
The Dutch government, along with a group of trade organisations and NGOs, announced a textile covenant on the 9th of March 2016. The aim of the covenant is to prevent child labour and improve poor working conditions and low wages in textile producing countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

For better social fabric, apparel makers under global eye (The Economic Times):
Indian apparel suppliers including those catering to global brands such as Gap, H&M and Marks & Spencer will now be monitored for unfair trade practices, following the signing of an agreement by a consortium of international agencies including the UNICEF, Stop Child Labour and Solidaridad.

Dutch coalition commits to responsible garment production (Just-Style.com):
A coalition of Dutch industry organisations and the Dutch government has pledged to tackle issues such as working conditions, wages and environmental pollution within the garment and textile supply chain in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Turkey.

Broad support for plan to eliminate child labour from the garment and textile industry (Stop Child Labour):
Stop Child Labour welcomes the broad support for the elimination of child labour, forced (child) labour, low wages and other abuses in the global garment and textile industry. Sector associations, the government, trade unions and civil society organizations - including Stop Child Labour – have agreed on a ‘covenant’ to address these issues in the coming years.

Factsheet Corporate social responsibility in India (RVO/Netherlands Enterprise Agency):
The strong economic growth of the past two decades, which has helped India to shift from a developing nation into an emerging market, is putting a strain on its infrastructure, its natural resources, and its social services. These are important issues that entrepreneurs should take into account if they wish to do business in India.

ILO asks Indian Government to react to statement by ITUC on forced labour in textile industry (LIW):
ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application on Conventions and Recommendations has requested the Indian government to react to observations by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Garment Labour Union (GLU) about forced labour and other labour rights violations in the textile industry in Tamil Nadu affecting a large number of young women employed in spinning mills.

Labour in the twenty-first century (The Hindu):
As the NDA government leans towards industrialists by scripting reforms that would legalise and expand contract labour, the big question is: do India’s trade unions have it in them to resist this imminent legislative blitz?
.....
To cite just one example, as reported by the NGO, the India Committee of the Netherlands, 80 per cent of the garment workers in Bengaluru toil in sweatshop conditions. They Make-in-India for reputed global brands such as Gap, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger and Zara — without ever being employees of Gap, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger or Zara. This kind of employment will become the legal norm for India’s workers when the proposed amendments become law.
.....

India: C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap pledge to improve garment workers' living conditions (FashionUnited.com)/
India: C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap pledge to improve garment workers' living conditions (FashionUnited.in):
In response to the report Unfree and Unfair, published by the human and labor rights organisation India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) in January 2016, five international buyers - C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH and Gap - responded extensively to the draft sent to them and pledged to improve the living conditions of garment workers at their suppliers' factories in Bangalore, India, a garment hub that leading multinational brands are sourcing from. Specifically, the report criticises the poor living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young female migrant garment workers in Bangalore.

C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH & Gap versprechen bessere Bedingungen für Bekleidungsarbeiter (FashionUnited.de)/
C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH & Gap versprechen bessere Bedingungen für Bekleidungsarbeiter (FashionUnited.ch):
Als Reaktion auf den Bericht Unfree and Unfair, veröffentlicht von der Menschen- und Arbeitsrechtsorganisation India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) im Januar 2016, haben sich fünf internationale Auftraggeber - C&A, H&M, Inditex, PVH und Gap - verpflichtet, die Lebensbedingungen der Bekleidungsarbeiter ihrer Zulieferfabriken in Bangalore, Indien, zu verbessern, einem Produktionszentrum im Süden Indiens für führende internationale Marken und Einzelhändler. Der Bericht bemängelt besonders die schlechten Lebensbedingungen und beschränkte Bewegungsfreiheit junger Wanderarbeiterinnen in Bangalore.

India: Study reports appalling living conditions of migrant garment workers, brands respond (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre):
The paper Unfree and Unfair gives evidence of appalling living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young migrant garment workers in the Indian city of Bangalore. An increasing number of young migrant women workers are staying in factory-owned hostels with poor living conditions while their movement is severely restricted. The wages of the workers do not add up to a decent living wage. The hostels are run by garment factories in Bangalore that produce for leading multinational brands like C&A, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Inditex and GAP.
Please note that the press release & the paer have been updated considering statement issued by Gap Inc folllowing miscommunication between Gap & authors of the report.

C&A, H&M, Inditex and PVH will ‘take serious action’ regarding garment workers’ conditions (MyGreenPod):
The paper Unfree and Unfair – published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – gives evidence of the appalling living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young migrant garment workers in the Indian city of Bangalore.
An increasing number of young migrant women workers are staying in factory-owned hostels with poor living conditions and severely restricted movement. The wages of the workers do not add up to a decent living wage.

The dark side of Bengaluru's garment factories (Fibre2Fashion.com)/
The dark side of Bengaluru's garment factories (Manufacturing Mirror - Feb 7, 2016)/
The dark side of Bengaluru's garment factories (BigNewsNetwork.com - Feb 7, 2016):
In a damning indictment of the apparel industry, a paper published by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation dedicated to improving the lives of the marginalized in South Asia, says young migrant garment workers in Bengaluru live in appalling conditions and face restricted movement.

Arbeitsbedingungen in indischen Textilfabriken katastrophal wie eh und je (Facing Finance):
2012 beschrieb ein Bericht von Somo und dem India Committe of the Netherlands (ICN) die Arbeitsbedingungen in indischen Textilfabriken im Staat Tamil Nadu (Maid in India). Schon damals wurde deutlich, wie katastrophal die Bedingungen für die Arbeiterinnen waren, viele von ihnen junge Frauen aus unteren Kasten.
ICN hat nun auch Fabriken in Bangalore untersucht und auch dort die Arbeitsbedingungen dokumentiert. Der Bericht Unfree and Unfair zeigt erneut, wie desolat es um die Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen für die in der indischen Textilindustrie Beschäftigten bestellt ist.

Working Conditions in Indian textile factories (Facing Finance):
In 2012 a report by Somo and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) described working conditions in Indian textile factories in the state of Tamil Nadu1. At this stage it was clear how catastrophic the conditions for workers were, many of them young women from lower castes.

Fashion brands pledge action for workers in India (Just-Style.com):
Four major fashion brands have pledged to take serious action to remedy what has been alleged as "appalling living conditions" and "restricted freedom of movement" for apparel workers in Bangalore, India.

‘Unfree and Unfair’ Report Prompts Brand Commitments to Improve Labor Conditions (SustainableBrands.com)/
‘Unfree and Unfair’ Report Prompts Brand Commitments to Improve Labor Conditions (EnvironmentGuru.com)/
'Unfree and Unfair' Report Prompts Brand Commitments to Improve Labor Conditions (Fashion-Victim-net - Feb 3, 2016):
A new report has revealed yet more unfair treatment of garment factory workers. Labor conditions in the apparel industry are an ongoing struggle even for brands with substantial purchasing power. Since the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in April 2013, dozens of brands and industry organizations have committed to various approaches to ensuring worker safety and improving wages, but progress has been slow and conditions remain largely untenable.
Bangalore, India is a major hub for the apparel industry and a city where up to 80 percent of garment workers are believed to be migrant workers. Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable to unfair treatment since they often do not speak the local language and rely on company-provided accommodations. A recent investigation targeted four garment factories in Bangalore – suppliers of GAP, H&M, C&A, and Inditex, the parent company of Zara – and found that the factory-owned hostels provided inadequate living conditions and restricted freedom of movement.
The paper Unfree and Unfair, released in January by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), includes a collection of evidence from a mix of desk research, interviews with over 110 factory workers, and interviews with members of the Garment Labour Union (GLU) in Bangalore.

Nightmare Hostels for Those Who Make in India (The Wire):
The condition of garment factory workers is under scrutiny once again. The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a human rights organisation, has released a report, Unfree and Unfair, that brings out the appalling treatment of migrant workers coming to work in Bangalore’s garment factories, with a focus on housing. Based on 110 interviews in four factories – K Mohan, Texport Industries, Arvind and Shahi Exports – the report brings out shocking realities about the living conditions of Bangalore’s migrant labour. While this is not the first report of its kind, it has prompted a response from the international companies these factories cater to.

Global apparel brands to help Bengaluru workers (Fibre2Fashion.com):
After a damning report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), a Dutch non-governmental group, highlighting appalling living conditions, low wages and lack of freedom of movement of workers in garment factories in Bengaluru, clothing majors such as H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in the city.

Wszyscy o nich słyszeliśmy, ale wolimy o nich nie wiedzieć (antykruchosc.blox.pl):
Prawdopodobnie wielkie cywilizacje muszą się żywić pracą niewolniczą, aby trwać w świetności. Tak było w przypadku starożytnej Grecji, gdzie Ateńczycy mogli uprawiać demokrację i filozofię, gdyż pracowali na nich niewolnicy. [....] Nawiązując do najnowszego raportu organizacji pozarządowej, zajmującej się prawami pracowniczymi - India Committee of the Netherlands – warunki egzystencji w przyzakładowych hostelach urągają jakimkolwiek standardom.

New report shows mistreatment of garment workers by familiar brands (Grist):
Unless you purchase all your garments handmade from Etsy, your artfully distressed culottes were probably mass-produced somewhere in Asia. (And also, even if you’re buying exclusively on Etsy, your clothes could still very well be made in China.) It’s no secret that the working conditions of garment workers in developing nations — and even some industrialized ones — are bad, but a new report by the NGO India Committee of the Netherlands illustrates just how abysmal they can be.

Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Reuters.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (The Times of India)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (nvs24.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Business Standard)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (SmartInvestor.in)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (DailyHunt)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (News.Trust.org)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (InvestmentGuruIndia.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (ETRetail.com [The Economic Times])/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (FashionMag.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (ShareWise)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (ShareNet)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Yahoo! Finance UK & Ireland)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Yahoo! Maktoob News)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (MyInforms.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Sajatya.com)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (canmua.net)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Daily Mail)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bangalore workers (The Himalayan Times)/
Global Apparel Brands Pledge To Improve Lives Of Bengaluru Workers (BusinessWorld.in)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Sify.com)/
Global Apparel Brands Pledge to Improve Conditions for Bengaluru Workers (Sudan Vision)/
Global brands pledge to better workers' conditions (Gulf Times - Jan 30, 2016)/
'Improve living conditions' (Arab Times - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for workers (Middle East North Africa Financial Network - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for workers (Arab News - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Tula Today - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Market Watch - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (FirstPost.com - Jan 30, 2016)/
Clothing firms vow better conditions (Taipei Times - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (Dhaka Tribune - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands initiate to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (RMG Bangladesh - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (New Age - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to better conditions for Bengaluru workers (The Goan EveryDay - Jan 30, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (The Daily Star - Jan 31, 2016)/
Global apparel brands (Pakistan & Gulf Economist - Feb 1, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Eco-Business.com - Feb 2, 2016)/
Global apparel brands pledge to improve conditions for Bengaluru workers (Vastuullisuusuutiset.fi - Feb 2, 2016)/
Apparel brands to improve conditions of Bengaluru workers (The Asian Age - Feb 3, 2016):
Clothing companies H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in Bengaluru, after a report said employees lived in appalling conditions and were denied decent wages and freedom of movement.
Gap Inc., which also sources apparel from Bengaluru, did not respond to the report by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), according to a statement by the Dutch non-governmental group late on Thursday. A draft of the report, Unfree and Unfair, was presented to the companies last November.
The conditions of garment workers in South Asia have come under sharp scrutiny following the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, in which 1,135 workers were killed, many of them employed by suppliers to Western retailers.

Global Brands Vow to Improve Conditions in Bengaluru Sweatshops (The Quint):
Clothing companies such as H&M, Inditex, C&A and PVH have committed to improving the lives of workers in India’s southern city of Bengaluru.
A report compiled by India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), revealed that employees working for such companies lived in appalling conditions and were denied decent wages and freedom of movement.

Global clothing brands vow to improve Bengaluru workers’ living conditions (scroll.in):
Global clothing companies that own brands such as Zara, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein have vowed to improve the lives of workers employed in Bengaluru garment factories, after a report exposed the terrible conditions they live in and their low wages. The clothing companies said they will coordinate with local trade unions to provide training and address the grievances of the workers, reported Reuters.

H&M, Inditex and PVH pledge to improve conditions at Indian factories (Fashionista):
On Thursday, the India Committee of the Netherlands released Unfree and Unfair, a paper detailing the "appalling living conditions and restricted freedom" of migrant garment workers in Bangalore.

“We cannot talk about it”: Factory workers for major fashion labels live confined by guards (Quartz)/
“We cannot talk about it”: Factory workers for major fashion labels live confined by guards (Snapzu.com):
Up to 80% of garment workers in Bangalore, India, are believed to be migrant workers. Many don’t speak the local language and struggle to find housing, so garment factories fill the gap by offering company accommodations. The only catch: Some residents are treated like prisoners.
According to a new report by labor rights NGO India Committee of the Netherlands, conditions inside factory “hostels” can be terrible, involving forced confinement and constant surveillance.

India: Inditex, H&M, C&A y PVH se vuelcan en los trabajadores del textil tras otra denuncia por abusos (Modaes.es):
Inditex, H&M, C&A y PVH toman medidas en su aprovisionamiento en India. Estos cuatro gigantes de la distribución de moda se han comprometido a mejorar las condiciones laborales en la ciudad de Bangalore, en India, después de que un nuevo estudio desvelara prácticas abusivas en sus proveedores en el país. La denuncia procede del Comité Indio en Holanda (ICN, en sus siglas en inglés), autor del informe Unfree and Unfair.

India – ‘Unfree and Unfair’ – young migrant women workers in Bangalore (Kractivist.org):
The paper Unfree and Unfair – published today by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) – gives evidence of appalling living conditions and restricted freedom of movement of young migrant garment workers in the Indian city of Bangalore.

H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (WWD)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (MagicOnline.com)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (PourElles.com)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (TopFash.com)/
H&M, Inditex, PVH Vow to Improve Conditions in Indian Factories After Critical Report (Glam-Touch.com):
Three leading European retailers and a major U.S. fashion group have pledged to take action to end what the India Committee of the Netherlands alleged are “appalling living conditions” for apparel workers in Bangalore, India, according to the human and labor rights organization.
The ICN, which released a paper titled Unfree and Unfair on Thursday detailing the alleged abuse, reached out to retailers and brands before the paper was published and said it has received commitments from C&A, H&M, Inditex and PVH Corp. to provide garment workers with better working conditions in Bangalore.

Accountability in the Fashion Industry: Loopholes in the H&M Value Chain (School of Global Policy and Strategy, San Diego):
On the morning of April 24, 2013 two women entered the Rana Plaza Building, an eight-story garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh where they went to work every day as sewing operators for a company that manufactures garments to be sold at Western retailers. The women and several other bystanders noticed a crack in the wall and immediately reported it to the factory manager. Under pressure to fulfill orders, the factory owner ordered the women back inside. Just moments later the women and more than 1,100 other people died when the building collapsed around them, suffocating the occupants under a pile of ash and steel. The catastrophe rocked the international community and left many to ask how such a disaster could happen. Who was responsible for the neglect and how can they be brought to justice?

Low Procurement Prices Fuelling Child Labour in Vegetable Seed Business (The Wire):
Nearly 156,000 minors, about 50,000 of them below 14 years of age, are currently engaged in producing vegetable seeds in India. Many of them have been employed by multinational and Indian companies. These and other aspects of exploitation of minors and women have been documented in a study, Soiled Seeds.

Twilight children (The Hindu):
Children and adolescents, mostly girls, toil in factories in conditions of near-slavery. This is the hidden face of manufacturing units in the flourishing industrial hubs of Tamil Nadu.

Response to the report Soiled Seeds: Child Labour and Underpayment of Women in Vegetable Seed Production in India (East-West Seed):
East-West Seed recognizes the issue of child labour in seed production in India and has taken steps to combat this serious social and economic problem. We fully support the mission of the India Committee of the Netherlands as we strive for the same goal: total elimination of child labour in India.

The problem with slavery and the Sustainable Development Goals (Equal Times):
At the end of September, the United Nations officially adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guide for international efforts against poverty for the next 15 years. The SDGs include a target for the elimination of slavery, forced and child labour.
Anti-Slavery International has been calling since 2007 for slavery to be recognised as a fundamental issue of poverty and development so the recognition of this in the SDGs is a crucial step. But this is where it gets difficult.

29% spike in child labour in 7 yrs in Guj cotton fields (DNA Syndication):
Gujarat’s galloping cotton production hides behind it a cruel fact- the use of children as farm labourers in the cotton fields of the state. In fact, Gujarat is the only state among the five states of India, where Bt cotton production is high, to register an increase in the number of child labourers employed in the cotton field. The number of children (below the age of 14 years) employed in the cotton fields saw 29.4% increase from the year 2006-07 to 2014-15.  The number of children employed was 86,360 in 2006-07 which rose to 1,10,400 in 2014-15.

1.10 Lakh child labourers in Gujarat: NGO report (Tube Tamil)

1.10 Lakh Child Labourers Work on Gujarat's Fields: NGO Report (The New Indian Express)/
1.10 Lakh Child Labourers Work on Gujarat's Fields: NGO Report (Business Standard)/
1.10 Lakh Child Labourers Work on Gujarat's Fields: NGO Report (Zee News)/
1.10 lakh child labourers work on Gujarat's fields: NGO report (NewsUnited.com)/
1.10 lakh child labourers work on Gujarat's fields: NGO report (Bharat Press)/
1.10 lakh child labourers work on Gujarat's fields: NGO report (India Everyday - Sep 10, 2015):
Gujarat accounts for 55 per cent of the country's child labour working in cottonseed production and the total number of children working in such fields has reached 1.10 lakh, according to an NGO study report released here today.

The Plight of Cottonseed Workers Reveals Why Child Labour Persists (The Wire):
A recent study has revealed that nearly half a million children in India — the majority of them girls belonging to Dalit, adivasi and OBC families — are illegally engaged in producing the cottonseeds that forms the basis of our garment industry. Of which, more than 2,00,000 children are aged below 14. One of the findings is that, contrary to popular perception, the majority of these child workers are employed by companies, rather than in family farms owned by subsistence farmers.

Workshop on Strategies to Combat Child Labour and Address Minimum Wage Issues in Hybrid Seed Production in India - Proceedings and Highlights (CCP Steering Committee):
The issue of child labour in hybrid seeds production in India continues to receive national and international attention. Despite some improvements in the recent years, the total number of children employed in this sector remains high.

Healthy sign: study reveals decline in child labour in cotton fields (The Hindu):
With issues of child labour in hybrid cotton seed production in the country receiving global attention, a study has revealed that there is a sharp decline in the number of children below 14 years employed in the highly labour intensive activity in the recent years.
The study was jointly conducted by India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN), an NGO involved in advocacy work on human rights issues and Stop Child Labour, a coalition of NGOs and trade unions, between July 2014 and January 2015.

O trabalho infantil ainda é explorando largamente na colheira de algodão da Índia (StyloUrbano):
Um novo relatório da Stop Child Labour Coalition e da India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) revelou que 60% dos trabalhadores rurais de sementes de algodão na Índia são crianças o que dá um total de quase meio milhão de jovens. Apropriadamente intitulado de Cotton’s Forgotten Children, o relatório detalhado mostrou que a maioria destes trabalhadores rurais estão abaixo da idade de 18 anos, sendo que muitos tem menos de 14 anos de idade.

Response sought in the Dian case along with trafficking of child labour (Rajasthan Patrika):
Recognizing the seriousness of trafficking of children from the tribal belt of the Division to BT cottonseed plots of Gujarat by the traffickers, the Rajasthan High Court has asked the state Government to respond. The Court made its comments in a public interest litigation despite the tall claims made by the state Government about the development of the tribal areas. The recent report of the India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour Campaign was handed over to the Court today.

Inde: Un demi-million d’enfants dans les champs de coton (Comité de Soutien à la Révolution en Inde):
Alors que l’Inde sera le 1er producteur mondial de coton sur la saison 2015-16, quelque 25% de ses travailleurs seraient des enfants de moins de 14 ans. Un demi-million de mineurs officieraient ainsi aux récoltes, selon une étude locale. C’est dans son rapport intitulé Les enfants oubliés du coton que le professeur indien Davuluri Venkateswarlu avance ces chiffres.

(RajasthanPatrika.com):
[ Publication on the report Cotton's Forgotten Children in the main local newspaper of Rajasthan - Rajasthan Patrika.
The news item quotes extensively from the report to show the continued incidence of trafficking of children to cottonseed plots. ]

Hindistan’ın unutulan pamuk toplayan çocuk işçileri (Gaia Dergi):
Her daim görmezden gelinen ve eksik bir sekilde rapor edilen çocuk işçiliği sorununa dikkat çekmesiyle gözler, yazar Mari Marcel Thekaekara’ya çevrildi. Uzun yıllar boyunca Hindistan’ın Adivasi ve Dalit Halkları’nın sorunları hakkında yazan yazar bu kez ise Hindistan’da pamuk alanında çalişan çocuk işçiler sorununa değinerek konunun yeniden gün yüzüne çıkmasını ve tartışılmasını sağladı. Yazarın Hindistan’ın pamuk sektöründe çalışan çocuk işçileriyle ilgili söyledikleri gerçekten sorunun ürkütücü boyutlarda olduğunu gözler önüne seriyor.

INDE – Les enfants oubliés de l’industrie du coton (Solidarité Dalits Belgique):
Yadamma est une jeune fille de 14 ans, originaire d’une famille de main-d’œuvre agricole dalit dans un village isolé de l’Andhra Pradesh. Cela fait trois ans qu’elle travaille dans les champs de coton et qu’elle ne va pas à l’école. [...] Le cas de Yadamma est un des exemples décrits dans le nouveau rapport Enfants oubliés du coton, publié par le Comité néerlandais sur l’Inde (ICN) et la Campagne contre le travail des enfants Stop Child Labour Campaign, qui constate que près d’un demi-million d’enfants en Inde travaille dans l’industrie de la production du coton. La plupart d’entre eux sont des dalits, adivasis ou appartenant à d’autres basses castes (OBC). Le rapport avertit que la plupart de ces enfants ne fréquentent pas l’école et sont soumis à des travaux dangereux et des produits chimiques nocifs.

Inde: un demi-million d’enfants dans les champs de coton (FashionMag.com):
Alors que l’Inde sera le 1er producteur mondial de coton sur la saison 2015-16, quelque 25% de ses travailleurs seraient des enfants de moins de 14 ans. Un demi-million de mineurs officieraient ainsi aux récoltes, selon une étude locale.

Indien: Fast eine halbe Million Kinder in der Baumwollproduktion (Aktiv Gegen Kinderarbeit):
Fast eine halbe Million Kinder in Indien arbeiten an der Basis unserer Kleidung und aller anderen Textilerzeugnisse, die wir benutzen. Sie produzieren Baumwollsamen für neue Baumwollpflanzen, indem sie jeden Samen einzeln aus der Blüte entfernen. Rund 200.000 von ihnen sind unter 14 Jahre alt. Das entspricht 25 Prozent der Arbeitskräfte auf den Baumwollsaaterntefeldern. Weitere 35% der Belegschaft sind Kinder zwischen 14 und 18 Jahren.
Dies sind Ergebnisse der Studie Cotton’s Forgotten Children von Indiens Langzeitexperten Dr. Davuluri Venkateswarlu.

India cottonseed child labour on the rise (Just-Style.com):
Children below 14 constitute around 25% of the workforce in India's cotton fields, a new report has found, a number that has increased over the last five years.
Results of the study, Cotton’s Forgotten Children by India’s Dr. Davuluri Venkateswarlu, found that around half a million Indian children are working to produce cotton seed - the basis for garments and other textile products.

ÍNDIA – Mais de quinhentas mil crianças trabalham nos campos de algodão em condições perigosas (Pime Animação):
Continua crescendo o número de crianças que trabalha nos campos de algodão. De acordo com um estudo publicado pela Comissão Indio holandesa e pela Stop Child Labour, entidade privada, na Índia, se trata de 200 mil menores de 14 anos, idade mínima legal para trabalhar no país asiático.

ASIA/INDIA – Over half a million children engaged in risky work in cotton fields (Agenzia Fides):
The number of children working in cotton fields continues to rise. According to a survey by the Indo-Dutch Committee and the private body Stop Child Labour Coalition, in India this activity involves some 200,000 minors age 14, minimum legal age for labour in the country. This year India is expected to become the world’s largest cotton producing country.

New report: Low caste children suffer in India’s cottonseed industry (IDSN.org):
The new report Cotton’s Forgotten Children, released by the Stop Child Labour Campaign and the India Committee on the Netherlands (ICN), finds that almost half a million children in India work as child labourers in the cottonseed production industry. Most of them are Dalits, Adivasis or other low caste children (OBCs). The report warns that most of these children are not in school and are subjected to hazardous work and harmful chemicals.

TN Sees Steep Drop in Kids Employed in Cotton Fields (The New Indian Express):
Tamil Nadu has shown a significant decline in the total number of children employed in cottonseed farms from 2006-7 to 2014-15, according to recent studies.
A recent report, Cotton’s Forgotten Children by NGOs ‘Stop Child Labour’ and ‘The India Committee of the Netherlands,’ reveals that the number of children employed in cotton fields has almost halved to 34,300 in eight years when the figure was 65,700. But for Tamil Nadu, it is on the rise across the country.

India’s forgotten cotton-picking children (New Internationalist)/
India’s forgotten cotton-picking children (Thrakika.gr)/
India’s Forgotten Cotton-picking Children (ViewsWeek - Aug 2, 2015)/
India’s forgotten cotton-picking children (The Fifth Column - Aug 2, 2015)/
India’s Forgotten Cotton-picking Children (South Asian Pulse - Aug 5, 2015)/
India’s forgotten cotton-picking children (Point Blank 7 - Aug 12, 2015):
Mari Marcel Thekaekara shines a spotlight on the underreported problem of child labour.
"I always associated cotton picking with songs from the American deep-south. It conjured up visions of poor people, mostly African Americans. We associated cotton picking with southern slavery in America. Never with India. Inexplicably, given I have clear memories of detailed geography lessons about India’s agricultural patterns and cotton-growing states."

Cotton’s Forgotten Children: Child Labour and Below Minimum Wages in Hybrid Cottonseed Production in India (SHRAM.org):
Data for 2014-15 shows that children under 14 years still account for nearly 25% of the total workforce in cottonseed farms in India. In 2014-15, a total of around 200,000 children below 14 years were employed in cottonseed farms in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Rajasthan states. Gujarat, which has the largest cottonseed production area in the country accounts for nearly 55% of the total children employed in this sector (110,000).

‘Cotton’s Forgotten Children’ claims half a million children work at cottonseed fields (Apparel Resources):
Here’s again a report on child labour in Indian textile industry. Dr. Davuluri Venkateswarlu, Director Glocal Research, Hyderabad has come up with Cotton’s Forgotten Children report. The report published by The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) criticizes the Indian State Governments, especially Gujarat and Rajasthan, for ‘not paying serious attention to tackle the issue’ and ‘being in the denying mood’. The 47-page report claims around half a million children are working in the seed fields and about 200,000 of them are below 14 years of age. The report also contains 11 recommendations for both companies, the National Seed Association of India and the (State) Governments to tackle child labour, below official minimum or living wages and other labour rights violations.

Bambini lavoratori in India (CIAI.it):
Quasi mezzo milione di minori indiani sono impiegati nella produzione del cotone in diversi stati del Paese e circa 200.000 di loro sono al di sotto di 14 anni. Questo è uno dei risultati del nuovo studio Cotton’s Forgotten Children condotto da uno dei massimi esperti in India, Davuluri Venkateswarlu.

Gujarat, the largest cottonseed production area in India, accounts for nearly 55% of the total children employed in the sector (CounterView):
A recent study, Cotton’s Forgotten Children, by Dr Davuluri Venkateswarlu, director, Glocal Research, a Hyderabad-based multi-disciplinary reseach and consultancy service, has found large-scale incidence of child labour in cotton producing fields of India. Based on field survey between July 2014 and January 2015, the study analyses primary data collected through field visits to 396 sample cottonseed farms in 72 villages that produce seed for both MNCs and major Indian seed companies. Out of 396 farms surveyed, 60 are in Andhra Pradesh, 56 are in Telangana, 100 in Gujarat and 60 each in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The study has been coordinated by the The India Committee of the Netherlands, an active member the Stop Child Labour campaign, the Clean Clothes Campaign, the International Dalit Solidarity Network and the Dutch MVO Platform.

Cotton report slams India’s child labour stats (EcoTextile.com):
Around a 60 per cent of cotton seed farm workers in India are under the age of 18 – a figure which is on the rise according to a new report published by the Stop Child Labour Coalition and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN). The Cotton’s Forgotten Children report suggests more governmental reviews and policies are needed to tackle India’s ongoing child labour issues.

Alleging rampant child labour in Gujarat, Rajasthan cotton fields, Dutch report praises "initiatives" by MNC Monsanto (CounterView):
A new report, Cotton’s Forgotten Children, released in The Hague, has expressed serious concern over the fact that the number of child workers, who haven't reached adolescence and working in cotton farms, has gone up by a whopping 30,000 since 2010 in Gujarat and Rajasthan. As for adolescent children, the report says, the numbers have gone up by another 70,000.

Report: Child Labor in India’s Cottonseed Industry on the Rise (Sourcing Journal):
Although the International Labour Organization (ILO) has said there are one-third fewer children worldwide working today than there were 15 years ago, the problem continues, and a new report released Thursday revealed that India is going against the global grain.

NGO says half a million Indian children work in cotton fields (SportsTextiles.com):
A Dutch non-government organisation, the India Committee of the Netherlands (LIW), has said in a new report that India’s cotton growing industry employs almost half a million children, that is young people up to the age of 18. It adds that around 200,000 of these children are under 14 years of age.

Indien: Zahl der Kinderarbeiter steigt (TextilWirtschaft.de):
Knapp eine halbe Million Kinder ist in Indien in der Produktion von Baumwollsamen beschäftigt. Rund 200.000 von ihnen sind unter 14-Jahre alt. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt die Studie Cotton’s Forgotten Children, die von der Nicht-Regierungs-Organisation India Committee of the Netherlands herausgegeben wurde. Die Zahl der Kinder, die auf den Baumwollsaatgutfeldern arbeiten, hat sich seit der letzten Studie aus dem Jahr 2010 um fast 100.000 erhöht.

Child Labor in India’s Cottonseed Industry Detailed (WWD):
India, which is continuing its rise to the top of global cotton production, has made some strides in reducing the use of child labor in its cottonseed industry, but the problem remains widespread, according to a new report released Thursday.
Some 200,000 children under the age of 14 (India’s legal minimum age threshold) toiled in the cottonseed industry in India in 2014 through the present day, according to the report dubbed Cotton’s Forgotten Children, released by the India Committee of the Netherlands, a non-governmental organization, and the Stop Child Labour Coalition, a collation of NGOs and trade unions.

One of every ten workers in Raichur’s granite mines is a child (scroll.in):
Even as the Cabinet approves stricter penalties for child labor violations, granite mines in Karnataka still employ a large number of children, many under the age of 14, to complete stone processing. A report titled Rock Bottom by the Netherlands-based non-government organisations India Committee of the Netherlands and Stop Child Labour, found that minors accounted for almost 10% of the total workforce in six quarries in state’s Raichur district.

Study on the Health Status of Adolescent Girls working in Textile and Spinning Mills (Vaan Muhil):
A study on the health status of adolescent girls working in the textile and spinning mills was conducted by the organization Vaan Muhil between October 2015 and February 2015.
In total 193 girls of girls from Tirunelveli District working in the mils or returnees of the Sumangali Scheme were selected for the study through group discussions, case studies and individual in-depth interviews.

New report Mind the Gap: How the global brands are not doing enough to ensure a dignified life for workers in the garment and electronics industry in India (Future in Our Hands):
This report is a joint effort of Future in Our Hands (Framtiden i våre hender), Norway and Civil Initiatives for Development and Peace (Cividep), India, both civil society organizations working for fair distribution of wealth globally through respect for the rights of workers and communities. The study compares working conditions and wages in two different global supply chains that cater to the European market with links to South India - the garment industry in Bangalore that produces apparel for well-known European retailers including H&M, a Swedish multinational, and Norwegian Varner Group as also the electronics industry in Sriperumbudur (near Chennai) where electronics companies Dell and Samsung (USA and Korea respectively) are manufacturing their products.

Addressing Modern Slavery in Tamil Nadu Textile Industry - Feasibility Study Report (Freedom Fund):
In response to continued evidence of human rights violations in the textile industry in Tamil Nadu, the Freedom Fund and C&A Foundation decided to carry out a feasibility study focused on issues related to modern slavery within the supply chain in the sector. The Association for Stimulating Know How (ASK) conducted this study.

Child labour in the fashion supply chain - where, why and what can business do? (The Guardian):
Some 170 million children were in child labour in 2012, according to the International Labour Organisation, touching areas of our lives from fashion to food. To achieve true sustainability, businesses must consider their impacts on children, both directly and indirectly. [....] A recent report by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) revealed that recruiters in southern India convince parents in impoverished rural areas to send their daughters to spinning mills with promises of a well-paid job, comfortable accommodation, three nutritious meals a day and opportunities for training and schooling, as well as a lump sum payment at the end of three years.

Textilindustrie: Kinderarbeit, Zwangsarbeit, Schuldknechtschaft und Menschenhandel (CleanKids.de):
Somo und ICN aus den Niederlanden, Partner von FEMNET/CCC decken auf: Zwangsarbeit, Schuldknechtschaft und Menschenhandel gibt es in fünf südindischen Spinnereien – Lieferanten von H&M, C&A und Primark.

Tea workers in India falling prey to human traffickers (The Sydney Morning Herald):
Tea workers in India falling prey to human traffickers (The Sydney Morning Herald):
Poorly paid Indian tea workers and their destitute families are a major source for human traffickers who lure away mainly women and children with promises of a new life but who end up enslaved in factories and households, human rights organisations say.

CSR: avoiding ethical exhibitionism (Hrchitects.net):
Talking about CSR is not so easy. It’s about ethics. It’s not that business and ethics are incompatible. They are. But ethics is innate. So if you talk about it, you risk to end up in existential discussions.
... This is what happened recently to H&M a couple of days ago. This is an interesting case. You can find a full description of its view on CSR here. They take CSR really seriously. But a recent report by SOMO under the name Flawed Fabrics is very critical about the South Indian textile Industry, allegedly working for H&M.

Response to SOMO / ICN report: Statement from Primark Stores (Primark.com):
Primark shares the concern of SOMO and ICN over working and employment conditions in the Southern Indian cotton mill industry. Primark does not source from the Sulochana mill, contrary to suggestions in the report and contrary to false claims made on the Sulochana website. Factories contracted to supply garments to Primark source from just one of the mills in the report, the Jeyavishnu Spinntex. The company notes that working and employment conditions there are generally better than in the other mills surveyed in the report. However, Primark accepts that this mill has issues that need rectification and will be continue to work with them to resolve them.

The Price of Less Child Labour and Higher Wages (ICN):
A new ICN publication - The Price of Less Child Labour and Higher Wages - shows that increasing the price that big seed companies in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh pay to farmers to grow cottonseed has resulted in much higher wages and less child labour in recent years.

India among countries that systematically violate workers' rights, says report (Business Standard):
India is reportedly ranked among countries where systematic violations of rights of workers are widely reported.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), an alliance of regional trade confederations that advocates for labour rights around the world gave India a score of 5+ on a scale of 1-5 on the The Global Rights Index: The World's Worst Countries for Workers.

New ITUC Global Rights Index - The world’s worst countries for workers (ITUC):
A global leaderboard in the race to protect workers’ rights was released today at the ITUC World Congress in Berlin. The ITUC Global Rights Index ranks 139 countries against 97 internationally recognised indicators to assess where workers’ rights are best protected, in law and in practice.

International garment brands not transparent about labour exploitation by their Indian suppliers: report (Down to Earth):
An international organisation working for welfare of workers has drawn attention to the hazardous and exploitative working conditions of young girls working for the garment sector in Tamil Nadu.
An estimated 100,000 children and teenage girls are working in extremely oppressive conditions in the spinning mills and garment factories in Tamil Nadu, according to a report released by FNV Mondiaal (international department of Dutch trade union confederation) and the India Committee of the Netherlands. Most of the girls belong to Dalit communities and live in hostels, with little freedom of movement. They are underpaid, made to work for long hours in hazardous and unhealthy conditions. They are victims of "bonded labour" or "modern slavery", says the report.

Unilever presenta Plan de acción contra el acoso sexual en sus plantaciones de té de Kenia (Comunica RSE):
Unilever presentó un plan de acción para hacer frente a la violación de los derechos laborales en sus plantaciones de té en Kericho, Kenia. Las investigaciones y denuncias sobre acoso sexual dieron lugar a una fuerte acción disciplinaria por parte de la empresa.
...
También en 2011, ComunicaRSE divulgó la investigación “¿Taza pequeña, gran diferencia?” de la ONG holandesa SOMO y la Comisión India de los Países Bajos (ICN) que denunciaba que los trabajadores que recogen té para Unilever en India y Kenia estaban sujetos a condiciones de trabajo precarias y violaciones de los derechos laborales, a pesar de que el té lleva el certificado de Rainforest Alliance.

Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility: A journey from 1700 BC till 21st century (International Journal of Advanced Research):
In 21st century's world is more interconnected, more globalized than ever. The study explored the historic review of developments associated with Corporate Social responsibility (CSR). Some authors, researchers, thinkers and Corporates believe that CSR practices are irrelevant and expensive strategy for the business while other believes it as an important tool for the survival of the organization. The objective of this study is to get an insight about the journey of Corporate Social Responsibility from 1700 BC till 21st century that how philanthropy move towards Corporate Social Responsibility and become an important part of the business. The research for this paper will be carried out by studying various articles, literatures available in various journals, books, manuscripts and websites. This study act as a bridge between ancient and modern way of implementing CSR practices, it also guides various researchers, academician, thinkers and various organizations that how of CSR act as a strategic tool for the growth of the organization. The paper concludes with the scope for further research that more detailed history of CSR is needed and it can be extended to SMEs as well.

INDE – Dalits et enfants produisent des graines de poivre et de tomates pour des compagnies indo-néerlandaises (Solidarité Dalits Belgique):
La société indienne Bejo Sheetal, partenaire de la firme hollandaise Bejo Seeds en joint venture, tolère le travail des enfants à large échelle parmi les paysans qui lui fournissent les graines de légumes. Par ailleurs, les paysans qui fournissent des graines à Nunhems India, part de Nunhems Netherlands, travaillent pratiquement sans enfants de moins de 14 ans.
Telles sont les conclusions majeures d’une étude publiée sous le titre A Tale of Two Companies – The difference between action and inaction in combating child labour (Histoire de deux compagnies – la différence entre l’action et l’absence d’action dans le combat contre le travail d’enfants) publiée par le Comité Inde aux Pays Bas.

Asian Development Bank complicit in human rights violations in India (ICN):
Exploitation of workers, violations of labour laws, child labour, hazardous working conditions and lethal accidents at the work place. This is just a sample related to 10 projects that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) finances in India. Big projects, like building a metro and the construction of an electricity network. The Netherlands is shareholder of the ADB.

Inefficiency of the buyer-driven value chains of big multinational retail houses causes women labour exploitation (International Journal in Multidisciplinary and Academic Research (SSIJMAR)):
United States and European garment brands and retailers have failed in their attempts to structurally improve labor conditions at their suppliers in Tamil Nadu, South India. Despite corporate promises and a range of well-meaning initiatives, workers, mostly very young women, continue to suffer exploitative working conditions. Even today, thousands of women in the garment and textile industry in Tamil Nadu work under recruitment and employment plans that amount to bonded labour. Workers are recruited within as well outside of the state of Tamil Nadu. The majority of the workers are Dalit (outcaste) girls under 18 coming from poor families, who are lured with promises of a decent wage, comfortable accommodation and, in some cases a sum of money upon completion of the contract that may be used for their dowry. These recruitment and employment practices are often referred to as 'Sumangali scheme'.

Anti-Trafficking seminar and photography exhibition Wednesday 23rd January 2013 (World Youth Alliance):
This Wednesday 23rd January, World Youth Alliance was proud to hold, in collaboration with CARE for Europe and hosted by Sir Graham Watson, MEP, a seminar and photography exhibition on Anti-Trafficking at the European Parliament. Nearly sixty individuals partook in the afternoon’s seminar and roughly a hundred were present for the inauguration of the exhibition. The event was appreciated by many as an opportunity to discuss the issue of human trafficking: a human rights abuse directly linked to our consumer habits, yet often hidden from the public eye or considered too taboo for discussion.
.... Next to intervene was Gerard Oonk, India Committee of the Netherlands who distinguished between four key players in human trafficking: the consumers, the businesses, the governments of the exploited countries, and the governments of the exploiting countries....

The Global Value: Value for Whom? The Soccer Ball Industry in China and Pakistan (Critical Asian Studies):
The global value chain concept has become one of the most influential frameworks used in the study of globalization. The paradigm, however, is deficient in explicating the exploitative nature of global value chain governance. Based on a study of soccer ball production in China and Pakistan, this article analyzes global production from three perspectives: the role of the state in shaping the host countries’ mode of production and legal framework, the issue of how surplus value is created and distributed, and the use of child labor or prison labor to remain competitive in the chain. The article shows, in the case of Pakistan, how a country using a lower-labor-costs strategy to retain a place in a global value chain allows its workers to be exploited and pauperizes its people.

Low Wages Remain an Issue in Indian Agriculture Sector (SiliconIndia.com):
Indian agriculture sector still remains one of the lowest paid in the world. A report on the agricultural wages released in the U.S. and the Netherlands states, “In spite of the legal requirements, payment of minimum wages is an issue in the agriculture sector in general, and seed production in particular, in India,” as reported by E Kumar Sharma for Business Today.

Women growing seeds for companies in India discriminated and underpaid (ASEED.net):
On December 12 2012 the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) are publishing the report Wages of Inequality – Wage Discrimination and Underpayment in Hybrid Seed Production in India.
Other key messages of the new report: (1) Agricultural wages have increased but they are still below minimum wages (2) Multinationals not better than Indian companies regarding wages (3) Dalits often make longer working days (4) Child labour depresses the wages.

Minimum wages still an issue in Indian agriculture: Study (Business Today):
"In spite of the legal requirements, payment of minimum wages is an issue in the agriculture sector in general, and seed production in particular, in India," says a report on agricultural wages released on December 12 in the US and the Netherlands.
The report, Wages of inequality - Wage discrimination and underpayment in Hybrid seed production in India, has been commissioned by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

New report Wages of Inequality: Women growing seeds for companies in India discriminated and underpaid (ICN):
Today the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) are publishing the report Wages of Inequality – Wage Discrimination and Underpayment in Hybrid Seed Production in India.
The report is based on field research by Dr. Davuluri Venkateswarlu and Mr. Jacob Kalle into the wages of labourers - women, men and children - who are growing cotton and vegetable seed in four Indian states. They are working for farmers that supply their seeds to Indian as well as multinational companies. The latter are – among others - Monsanto, Syngenta, Dupont, US Agri, East-West Seeds, Bayer, Advanta and Bejo Sheetal.

Low Wages Remain an Issue in Indian Agriculture Sector (IndoLink.com):
Indian agriculture sector still remains one of the lowest paid in the world. A report on the agricultural wages released in the US and the Netherlands states: “In spite of the legal requirements, payment of minimum wages is an issue in the agriculture sector in general, and seed production in particular, in India,” as reported by E Kumar Sharma for Business Today. The report further claims ‘Wages of inequality - Wage discrimination and underpayment in Hybrid seed production in India,’ as commissioned by the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) and the Fair Labor Association (FLA).

Wage Discrimination Continues on Indian Seed Farms (Fair Labor News):
A recent study commissioned by FLA and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) found ongoing wage discrimination and underpayment of wages in hybrid vegetable and cotton seed production in India. The study, conducted by Dr. Davuluri Venketeswarlu and Jacob Kalle, was conducted in four Indian states where hybrid seed production is largely concentrated - Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra - and involved interviews with nearly 500 workers on 200 seed farms and discussions with growers, civil society organizations, government officials and others.

Letter to all footwear companies addressed by Stop Child Labour Campaign (Stop Child Labour)

Teuer gleich gut? Wie gerechtfertigt ist der Preis von Kleidung? (Zeitgeschmack):
Wir kennen das alle, man betritt den durchgestylten Laden in Mitte; eine fröhliche, bunte Welt tut sich auf. Solange der Blick nicht Richtung Preisschild wandert, bleibt alles so schön wie es ist. Wir kaufen gedankenlos einen Pulli für 60 Euro. Wir haben für dieses Geld gearbeitet (oder auch nicht), wir gönnen uns diesen Pullover und freuen uns, ihn abends auf der Party vorzuführen. Selten hinterfragen wir die Zustände der Produktionsstätten. Sicherlich hat sich in der letzten Zeit einiges geändert.

"Fabrikarbeit ist wie Gymnastik" (Südlink: INKOTA-Dossier):
Die Bekleidungsindustrie lockt Hunderttausends indische Mädchen mit schönen Versprechungen in eine Sklaverei auf Zeit.

‘Maid in India’ - Shocking Findings (GroundReport.com):
In Tamil Nadu textile and garment products for big brands and retailers are being made by girls and young women under exploitative working conditions, says a report, Maid in India, published by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN).

Stimulating Living Wage/Income in International Supply Chains (ICN):
The report Living Wage in International Supply Chains concludes the first phase of the Stimulating Living Wage/Income in International Supply Chains project commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consultancy firm Berenschot International for the period of January to June 2012.

Corporate social responsibility and SMEs: exploratory study on dynamics of corporate and stakeholders perspective in Sports Goods Industry Meerut (Research in Business and Management):
Business is increasingly forming societal values and norms and defining public policy and practice. With raising awareness business are requested by their customers, clients, shareholders and other parties of interest to account for their activities on the global scale in a transparent way. The whole issue of socially responsible business is based on the premise that companies have the right to choose. In this context there is a need to distinguish between philanthropy and compliance to labor and environmental standards. The adoption of standards may be either voluntary or compulsory in a given social, political and economic environment. The codes on labor standards developed by FIFA and the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries (WFSGI), which are based on the relevant ILO conventions, look for creating a level playing field for all the traders of sporting goods in the international market.

Eliminating child labour from the supply chain (The Guardian):
To coincide with this year's World Day Against Child Labour, Carmel Giblin explores the root causes of child labour and how brands and their suppliers can work together eliminate it.

INDIA: Clothing firms accused of slave labour conditions (Just-Style.com):
Textile and garment firms in southern India who supply dozens of major European and US brands and retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Mothercare and supermarket giant Tesco, are accused of selling clothing made by girls working in slave labour conditions.
The claims are made by lobby group Anti-Slavery International and Dutch campaign group SOMO in a report called 'Slavery on the high street.' The allegations are based on interviews with over 200 former workers in cotton spinning mills and factories around Tirupur in western Tamil Nadu.

Motion passed in Dutch Parliament on full supply chain transparency in India's garment industry, following report highlighting Dalits in bonded labour (IDSN):
A Motion in the Dutch Parliament on full supply chain transparency in the garment industry in India has been adopted in the wake of the report Maid in India by SOMO and the India Committee of the Netherlands.

India’s Dalit women and the real cost of fast fashion (Women's Views On News):
The High Street frenzy that follows when the Duchess of Cambridge is snapped wearing a new dress can lead to 24-hour shifts for women working in some of India’s garment factories.
That’s one of the findings of a new report Maid in India that reveals the impact that unexpected orders and the frequency at which high street stores change their collections is having on some of India’s most disadvantaged women.

Dalit women exploited in garment supply chain (Just-Style.com):
Clothing supplied to leading European and US brands by the Indian garment industry is being produced by young Dalit (or Untouchables, as they were formerly labelled) women, a new report claims.

Saga of ‘Maid in India' (The Hindu):
Thousands of young Dalit girls, between the ages of 14 to 25 employed in the garment and textile industry in Tamil Nadu continue to work under exploitative conditions akin to bonded labour, concludes a report Maid in India.

Studie über Arbeitsbedingungen in Indien veröffentlicht (CI-Romero.de):
Die holländischen NGOs The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) und The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) haben eine Folgestudie unter dem Titel Maid in India veröffentlicht, die die Arbeitssituation der Textilangestellten in Indien in den Blick nimmt. Die vorangegangene Studie Captured by Cotton aus dem Jahre 2011 verdeutlichte die katastrophale Arbeitsrechts- und Lebenssituation der TextilarbeiterInnen in der Region Tamil Nadu (Distrikt im Süden Indiens). Auf der Grundlage dieser Ergebnisse kündigten einige Unternehmen, die in den Fabriken dort produzieren oder sich von dort mit Rohmaterial beliefern lassen, an, dass sie Schritte zu Verbesserungen einleiten wollen.

Tres grandes empresas españolas siguen en la 'lista negra' de trabajo esclavo (LacrimaSeca/ElConfidencial.com):
Salarios miserables, jornadas sin fin, niñas explotadas, sindicatos proscritos, ambiente insalubre... El sombrío escenario laboral que engulle cotidianamente a miles de mujeres jóvenes del empobrecido estado indio de Tamil Nadu, empleadas en condiciones que rozan la esclavitud en los talleres que suministran productos textiles a las primeras marcas mundiales, parece condenado a perpetuarse en el tiempo. Y mientras las autoridades del gigante asiático toleran los abusos, 77 grandes empresas occidentales, entre ellas El Corte Inglés, Inditex -propietaria de firmas como Zara y Pull&Bear- y Cortefiel siguen obteniendo jugosos beneficios.

Reacción de la moda a denuncias en India “es insuficiente” (FashionUnited.es):
A pesar de las promesas de cambio e iniciativas con buenas intenciones de algunas empresas europeas y americanas de vestimenta, los trabajadores textiles en la región de Tamil Nadu, al sur de India siguen siendo explotados.
Así se señala en el informe Maid in India dado a conocer ayer por el Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations -una organizaciín independiente holandesa sin ánimo de lucro que escruta a las grandes multinacionales- y el India Committee of the Netherlands -una ONG del mismo país impulsora de la campaña Clean Clothes (Ropas Limpias) contra la explotación vinculada al comercio textil.

Maid in India (Saubere-Kleidung.de):
Die holländischen NGOs The Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) und The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) haben eine Folgestudie unter dem Titel Maid in India veröffentlicht, die die Arbeitssituation der Textilangestellten in den Indien in den Blick nimmt. Die vorangegangene Studie Captured by Cotton aus dem Jahre 2011 verdeutlichte die katastrophale Arbeitsrechts- und Lebenssituation der TextilarbeiterInnen in der Region Tamil Nadu (Distrikt im Süden Indiens). Auf der Grundlage dieser Ergebnisse kündigten einige Unternehmen, die in den Fabriken dort produzieren oder sich von dort mit Rohmaterial beliefern lassen, an, dass sie Schritte zu Verbesserungen einleiten wollen.

Renta dozywotnia w zamian za mieszkanie (DobraDieta.pl):
Wiosna 2003 roku India Committee of the Netherlands opublikowal analize, wedlug której koncerny takie jak: Bayer, Monsanto, Unilever, Syngenta zarabiaja na wyzysku dzieci przy produkcji nasion....

Koncerny farmakologiczne (Naturopata.edu.pl):
Wiosna 2003 roku India Committee of the Netherlands opublikowal analize, wedlug której koncerny takie jak: Bayer, Monsanto, Unilever, Syngenta zarabiaja na wyzysku dzieci przy produkcji nasion....

Video: Zwangsarbeit in Indien (EvB.ch):
"We request you to bring us the lovely girls you know and make their lives prosperous as a lighthouse". Mit diesen Worten werben indische Fabriken junge Mädchen als Angestellte für ihr sog. "Sumangali-Programm“. Sie bieten ihnen damit vermeintlich die Chance, Geld für eine (offiziell verbotene) Mitgift zu verdienen.

Trabajo esclavo en la India: tres empresas españolas están incluidas en la 'lista negra' (ElConfidencial.com):
Niñas y adolescentes trabajando sin contrato, privadas de libertad y en condiciones insalubres durante más de 72 horas a la semana por un salario de 0,88 euros al día, del que sólo podrán disponer cuando hayan transcurrido de tres a cinco años y que servirá para pagar su dote matrimonial. Ese es el sombrío escenario laboral de miles de jóvenes del estado de Tamil Nadu, al sur de la India, que son empleadas en condiciones que rozan la esclavitud por empresas textiles de aquel país que luego suministran sus productos a grandes firmas internacionales, entre ellas las españolas Inditex, El Corte Inglés y Cortefiel.

New CSR Frame of Reference published by MVO Platform (LIW):
The new Frame of Reference for corporate social responsibility (CSR) provides a clear overview of how the MVO Platform perceives CSR. It is developed by the 30 member organisations of the MVO Platform.

SOMO and ICN statement to reactions by Rainforest Alliance and Unilever following publication of the SOMO report Certified Unilever Tea: Small cup, big difference? (SOMO):
Following the publication in October 2011 of a report by SOMO and ICN revealing labour right violations in Rainforest Alliance (RA) certified tea production for Unilever both RA and Unilever have made several public statements. The positions that are reflected in these statements were communicated to SOMO and ICN already before publication of the report. Hence, wherever it was deemed relevant in the context of this study their position has been discussed in the report.

Estudio revela malas condiciones laborales en plantaciones de té de Unilever (Comunica RSE):
Trabajadores que recogen té para Unilever en India y Kenia están sujetos a condiciones de trabajo precarias y violaciones de los derechos laborales, a pesar de que el té lleva el certificado de Rainforest Alliance. Este es el hallazgo más importante del informe de certificación de té de Unilever “¿Taza pequeña, gran diferencia?” que la ONG holandesa SOMO y la Comisión India de los Países Bajos (ICN) publicaron esta semana.

Precarious work in certified tea production for Unilever (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre):
Workers picking tea for Unilever in India and Kenya are subject to precarious working conditions and labor rights violations, even though this tea carries the Rainforest Alliance certificate. This is an important finding from the report Certified Unilever Tea - Small cup, big difference? that SOMO and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) are releasing.

Captured by Cotton - A Story of Dalit Girls of Tamil Nadu (GroundReport.com/Ummid.com/Aid Netherlands/IndianMuslimObserver.com):
Jack & Jones, C&A, GAP, Diesel, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Tommy Hilfiger, well these names rings the tune of global brands manufacturing high class cotton merchandise.
Little is known fact about such high profile garment manufactures chain is about the nature of their sourcing activity. These big garment brands have their products made under exploitative and unhealthy conditions by girls in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, India. The girls, mostly younger than 18 and from a Dalit ('outcaste') background are employed under the 'Sumangali Scheme.'

International efforts to eliminate forced labour continue (Fair Wear Foundation):
Today, SOMO and ICN published a report that shows the Sumangali practice – a form of forced labour – is still prevalent in South India. Fair Wear Foundation has been working on this topic with international organisations, including SOMO and ICN and with local organisations in India.

Dalit girls working under slave like conditions in India's garment industry (IDSN):
Multinational clothing brands are sourcing from cotton spinning mills in Tamil Nadu that exploit teenage girls, subjecting them to what the ILO terms the ‘worst forms of child labour’.

The Cost of Cotton (ICN/CHR&GJ): Every 30 minutes an Indian farmer commits suicide:
India is failing to address its farmer suicide crisis, says the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ), in a report released yesterday that has indentified an agrarian crisis in India where farmer suicides are on the rise and caste discrimination only exacerbates the problem.

Dynamics of Corporates and Stakeholders Perspective of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case of Sports Goods Industry Meerut (American Journal of Economics and Business Administration):
The Corporate Social Responsibility concerns got global attention in large scale industries but the SME’s which are no less prone to create critical problems for the human, social and natural environments inimical to the society as a whole and survival at large, have not attracted the required attention. The case focuses on the dynamics of the corporate and stakeholder perspective on CSR in Sports Goods Industry Meerut.

Case study: the international CSR conflict and mediation - Supply-chain responsibility: western customers and the Indian textile industry (Nederlands-Vlaams tijdschrift voor mediation en conflictmanagement):
On 6 December 2007, the Dutch denim brand G-Star publicly announced that it had pulled out of its long-term relationship with the Indian/Italian jeans manufacturer and supplier Fibres & Fabrics International (FFI/JKPL). G-Star’s loss of appetite towards its Indian supplier was the consequence of being trapped for two years between international campaigning by the Dutch campaigning organisations Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and India Committee Netherlands (ICN, hereafter together referred to as: CCC/ICN) and the destructive litigation undertaken by its supplier. Due to the cancellation of further orders by G-Star, the Indian jeans manufacturer, which at that time employed approximately 5,500 people in Bangalore and 100 to 150 people in Italy, risked going out of business in three months’ time. Including family members and other dependents, this meant that over 20,000 people would lose their source of income.

The Ambedkar Principles: Principles and Guidelines to address Caste Discrimination in the Private Sector [revised edition] (IDSN):
The principles and guidelines are developed to address caste discrimination, which remains one of the most serious human rights issues in the world today.

Nestlé Unions in India take nation-wide protest action (IUF):
On 16 April the IUF-affiliated Federation of All India Nestlé Employees launched protest actions at four Nestlé factories across India, demanding that management immediately engage in wage bargaining.

EU-India Free Trade Agreement (ICN)

Worker rights violations in Asia by giant retailers / Unilever's disposable jobs in Pakistan (ICN):
Giant global discount retailers like Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Carrefour, and Walmart try to lure consumers into their shops with low, low prices. A man's suit for £25 at Tesco, a woman's dress for $9 at Walmart, or jeans for EUR8 at Carrefour. How do they do it? ...

Dünya tekellerinin kara listesi - Kaan Kangal (Sendika.org):
2003 ilkbaharinda Hollanda Hindistan Komitesi (India Committee of the Netherlands) Bayer, Monsanto, Unilever ve Syngenta sirketlerinin Hindistan'da çocuk isçilerin sömürülmesinden kar elde ettigini kamuoyuna duyurdular...

Indian organizations call for halt to EU-India FTA negotiations (press release Centre for Education and Communication, Delhi):
As two day (29-30 September, 2008) EU-India summit begins at Marseilles in France, civil society groups from across India demand a complete halt of the ongoing EU-India FTA negotiations. In a statement submitted to key political leaders in India, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, they claim that since the FTA talks began in June 2007, the Indian Parliament, state legislatures and key constituencies such as trade unions and agriculture groups have been kept in the dark.

Managing ethical production in India (Aggregates Business Europe):
Demand for decorative paving in Europe means significant quantities are now sourced from India but production is not always managed ethically. Lisa Russell reports on how Marshalls has taken a stance to bring about change.

Corporate responsibility and Dalits: A campaigning perspective (Dalit Voice):
The India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) is an independent NGO campaigning on human rights issues in India in a global context. For the last ten years ICN has been working on corporate social responsibility (CSR), especially on child labour and labour rights, and since about six years on caste discrimination. ICN is an active member of the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), the European Stop Child Labour campaign and the Dutch CSR Platform.

Falling tea prices affect working conditions (SOMO):
Working conditions of tea pickers worldwide are under pressure due to low prices and high production costs. This is one of the conclusions of the new SOMO report “Sustainability Issues in the Tea Sector” presented today.

A Code of Conduct for the natural stone sector (Dutch Working Group on Sustainable Natural Stone):
Sustainability criteria to support supply chain responsibility throughout the chain.

Govt threatens EU with retaliatory action (Financial Express):
The government [of India] on Tuesday dismissed allegations of use of child labour against local suppliers of clothing retail major GAP as a motivated campaign on part of the rich nations and threatened Europe of possible retaliatory measures.

Natural Stone - New brochure on code of conduct natural stone (Dutch Working Group on Sustainable Natural Stone):
Natural stone. A wonderful product. A product with many uses. Some examples? Floors, kitchen surfaces, memorial stones, paving and exterior cladding. The market for natural stone continues to grow, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Buyers value the quality of the material and the large variety of colours that are available. But do you also know where your natural stone comes from? Or under what circumstances the natural stone is produced and processed in its country of origin?

Silicosis - Educate, eliminate, eradicate (Discovering Stone):
Silicosis is one of the oldest occupational diseases known to man. Recognised since ancient times, this incurable lung disease caused by inhalation of dust containing free crystalline silica, is irreversible and the disease progresses even when exposure stops. Silicosis is preventable. However, it continues to pose a very real threat to some people on a daily basis and still kills thousands around the world every year.

Suing stakeholders: solution or setback? (CSR Asia Weekly):
Two prominent European non-government organisations (NGOs) are being sued by an Indian garment company for cyber crime. In what appears to be an unprecedented legal move, Fibres & Fabrics International (FFI) and its subsidiary Jeans Knit Pvt. Ltd. (JKPL) in Bangalore have accused Dutch-based Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and the India Committee of the Netherlands (ICN) of “cyber crime, acts of racist and xenophobic nature and criminal defamation.”

Occupation Related Accidents in Selected Garment Industries in Bangalore City (Indian Journal of Community Medicine):
A review of the textile industry quotes that it is the largest manufacturing sector in India, accounting for around 20% of India’s industrial output and 37% of total exports. Karnataka is major apparel souring destination for the global market, with exports of over Rs. 3000 crore in 2000-01 making it the second largest garments exporter in India. There are 5777 factories in India employing 3,27,397 personnel producing goods both for home market and for export. There are 780 garment-manufacturing units in Bangalore alone. Women form 80% of the workforce in the industry.

Immer noch Kinderarbeit in der indischen Baumwoll-Industrie (Entwicklungspolitik Online):
In Indien arbeiten noch immer Kinder auf Farmen, die Baumwoll-Saatgut beispielsweise für die Bayer-Tochterfirma ProAgro herstellen. Das ist das Ergebnis einer Studie, die das Eine Welt Netz Nordrhein-Westfalens zum 12. Juni 2007, dem internationalen Tag gegen Kinderarbeit, veröffentlicht hat. Die Studie Die Saat der Kinderarbeit untersucht die Aktivit&aauml;ten der Konzerne Monsanto und Bayer gegen ausbeuterische Kinderarbeit in der indischen Produktion von Baumwoll-Saatgut. Erstellt wurde die Studie vom indischen Wissenschaftler Dr. Davuluri Venkateswarlu im Auftrag des Eine Welt Netzes NRW, der Deutschen Welthungerhilfe und Nichtregierungsorganisationen aus den Niederlanden und den USA.

PM's Address at CII Annual General Meeting - 2007: Ten Point Social Charter for Inclusive Growth Outlined (Press Information Bureau, Gov. of India):
Urging the Indian industry to make our growth processes both efficient and inclusive, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh outlined a Ten Point Social Charter for this purpose. Inaugurating the National Conference and Annual Session 2007 of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here today, Dr. Singh invited corporate India to be a partner in making ours a more humane and just society.

Global trade unions: India seriously violates core labour standards (ITUC):
There remain serious violations of all core labour standards in India, states a new ITUC report. The report is being released today to coincide with India’s trade policy review at the WTO on 23 and 25 May.

Scandal of the quarry children (Yorkshire Post):
In the average Indian quarry 20 per cent of the workforce is made up of child labour, some as young as six. We expose the shocking truth behind the cheap sandstone being exported to the UK and find out what one Yorkshire company is doing about it.

A hard price to pay for stone floors (The Telegraph):
Quarried stone floors are in huge demand, but consumers seldom know the cost that may be borne by exploited child workers in India. Martin Baker speaks to a man trying to change an industry.
...
The India Committee of the Netherlands [a Dutch quango charged with welfare issues for people originating from India] estimates that 20 per cent of [Indian] production uses child labour.

Indian corporate responsibility: Asian giant on an ethical crash course (Ethical Corporation):
Only a few forward-looking companies have so far flown the corporate responsibility flag in India. But the rest will soon have to follow.

SAVE THE CHILDREN UK: Why Corporate Social Responsibility is failing children (CRIN):
Companies who are not adhering to corporate social responsibility codes are failing millions of children, says a new report.
The report, Why Corporate Social Responsibility is Failing Children, by Save the Children and The Corporate Responsibility (CORE) Coalition, reviews three voluntary codes for companies and reveals that all three have been violated by leading companies. The report concludes that voluntary initiatives alone are wholly inadequate as a means of improving the lives of children. This is because they fail to be enforced and because they attract only a small sub-section of companies in each sector.

La mafia farmacéutica. Peor el remedio que la enfermedad (EcoPortal.net):
El mercado farmacéutico mueve unos 200.000 millones de dólares al año. Un monto superior a las ganancias que brindan la venta de armas. Por cada dólar invertido en la fabricación de un medicamento se obtienen mil en el mercado. Este mercado, además, es uno de los más monopolizados del planeta, ya que sólo 25 corporaciones copan el 50 por ciento del total de ventas.
...
Otro ejemplo del desprecio de estos grandes grupos por la humanidad, se dio cuando a comienzos del 2003, el India Committee of the Netherlands publicó un informe seg&uuacute;n el cual las multinacionales Bayer, Monsanto, Unilever y Syngenta explotaban a niños en la producción de semillas en la India.

Is Indian sandstone morally acceptable? (Garden Design Journal):
Have you ever wondered why Indian sandstone is so cheap? It is often quarried at horrific social, economic and environmental cost. Louise Zass-Bangham reveals the issues and explains how we can — and must — change this situation through ethical sourcing.

Between a rock and a hard place - how UK patios rely on child labour (The Guardian):
In the blazing morning sun Naresh swings a hammer on to a square grey sandstone slab, his features focused on chipping away the rock until it is the length of his feet. Around the boy are crates of blocks, which are graded by texture and shape before being tied up into neat bundles.

Costing The Earth: Stonebreakers (BBC Radio 4):
Natural stone is the thing to have in many homes and gardens these days. Granite is a particularly popular and stylish material for kitchen worktops and floors.
It looks good, it’s easy to clean and is now very affordable thanks to foreign imports that have increased over the last decade. In the last five years alone, sales of Indian granite in Britain have risen from 1600 tonnes to 14,000 tonnes – that’s an eight fold increase.

The Political Economy of Corporate Responsibility in India (UNRISD - Technology, Business and Society: Programme paper no. 18):
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is on the rise all over the world, and India is no exception. The history of corporate paternalism has played an important part in shaping community expectations and CSR practices in India. Civil society, consumers and other actors have increased the pressure on companies to adhere to social and environmental standards, and this new “civil regulatory” environment has had impacts on business in India. This paper considers corporate environmental and social behaviour in India, both in the past and the present, in an attempt to better understand the actual impact of CSR.

'From quarry to graveyard' - The Dutch natural stone market and responsible business behaviour (Principled Profit):
Inhuman labour conditions and wide scale environmental damage are part and parcel of natural stone production in India. This is the message of the report "From quarry to graveyard - Corporate social responsibility in the natural stone sector” published today by the India Committee of the Netherlands. The report describes the Dutch natural stone trade and details how Dutch companies and trade organisations are starting to take an interest in corporate social responsibility.

Sustainable tea sourcing - Brewing up progress? (Ethical Corporation):
Dutch tea companies and non governmental organisations have begun to discuss how to improve social and environmental performance in the industry.

Dutch tea companies start round table process with critical NGOs (PeoplePlanetProfit.be):
The largest Dutch tea producers and retailers have gathered this week in a round table conference with non-governmental organisations to discuss improvements in the CSR-policies of the companies. Recent research indicated that the tea industry does not adequately address labour rights, social issues, environmental concerns and economic imbalances in the tea producing countries.

The 14 worst corporate offenders (IndyBay.org):
...
According to the India Committee of the Netherlands and the International Labor Rights Fund, Monsanto also employs child labor. In India, an estimated 12,375 children work in cottonseed production for farmers paid by Indian and multinational seed companies, including Monsanto.
...

Monsanto and Dow among the 14 Worst Corporate Evildoers (GMWatch):
Corporations carry out some of the most horrific human rights abuses of modern times, but it is increasingly difficult to hold them to account. Economic globalization and the rise of transnational corporate power have created a favorable climate for corporate human rights abusers, which are governed principally by the codes of supply and demand and show genuine loyalty only to their stockholders.

Syngenta & co responsible for rampant child labour on Indian cotton farms (GMWatch):
Two separate studies conducted recently held that multinationals like Bayer, Monsanto and Syngenta and Indian companies like Nuziveedu Seeds, Raasi Seeds and Ankur Seeds as responsible for the situation [extensive use of child labour].

UK Company Accused of Multiple Violations (Social Watch):
This week sees the launch of a major critical report on India's largest mining company, Vedanta Resources plc, based in London.
UK-based mining company, VEDANTA RESOURCES PLC, is today accused of multiple human rights and environmental violations at its operations in India. These include: Abusing the constitutional rights of tribal peoples; Contravening orders of India’s Supreme Court; Trespassing on protected forest land; Ignoring basic health, safety and environmental standards; Exploiting contract labour.
The evidence is contained in a detailed report just published by Nostromo Research and the India Resource Center. The publication is supported by Mines, Minerals and People (India), Social Watch Tamil Nadu, the Environmental Investigation Agency (UK), and the India Committee of the Netherlands, Corporate Accountability Desk (India), The Other Media, Chennai/New Delhi, FIMCOTN: Fisher Movements Coordination of Tamilnadu & Pondicherry, and Human Rights - Tamilnadu Initiative.

Industry backs plan for SCs, STs (The Hindu):
Several leading industrial houses have backed the Government's commitment to provide greater opportunities to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as part of affirmative action, including job reservation in the private sector.

Protesters demand fair trade tea (BBC News):
Fair trade campaigners have held a demo in London, demanding tea firms end a "crisis" engulfing the Indian industry.

Food multinationals threaten fight against poverty (ActionAid):
Multinational food companies are growing too big and powerful and are threatening the fight against poverty in developing countries, says a new report by development agency ActionAid.

100% Cotton - Made In India (Coalition against BAYER-dangers):
TV Documentation about poisonings with Bayer's pesticides in India.

Summary "Clouds of Injustice: Bhopal Disaster 20 years on" (Amnesty International):
On the night of 2 December 1984, over 35 tons of toxic gases leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal owned by the US-based multinational Union Carbide Corporation (UCC)'s Indian affiliate Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL). In the next 2-3 days more than 7,000 people died and many more were injured.

Reservations for Dalits as CSR? (OneWorld South Asia):
The policy of reservations in the public sector is being used as a strategy to overcome discrimination and act as a compensatory exercise.

Workers’ Playtime? Child Labour at the Extremes of the Sporting Spectrum (Sport in Society):
Workers’ Playtime was a BBC Radio lunchtime variety programme, broadcast live from factory canteens around Britain in the 1940s and 1950s. Its title recognized lunchtime as a break from work, a time when workers might play. When applied to children, when children are workers, this title takes on a more sinister connotation. Play is supposed to be characteristic of childhood, and play is considered to be intrinsic to healthy child development – physical, mental, and social. When applied to children who work at sport, and in the industries that supply sporting goods, ‘workers’ playtime’ has a cruel irony. This article is about those children.

A Review of Corporate Social Responsibility in India (Development):
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is on the rise all over the world, and India is no exception. The history of corporate paternalism has played an important part in shaping community expectations and CSR practices in India. Civil society, consumers and other actors have increased the pressure on companies to adhere to social and environmental standards, and this new “civil regulatory” environment has had impacts on business in India. This paper considers corporate environmental and social behaviour in India, both in the past and the present, in an attempt to better understand the actual impact of CSR.

European Multi Stakeholder Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility - Results

Dutch companies in India found wanting in CSR (The Financial Times):
A report on the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by Dutch companies in India has come down heavily on these companies for not living up to their responsibility.

Multinationals in India fail on CSR (Ethical Corporation Online):
A report by the India Committee of the Netherlands has highlighted a jack of awareness and substance on corporate social responsibility in supplier relations between Dutch and Indian companies.

The Seeds of Child Labor (Boloji):
Nearly 400,000 children, mostly girls between seven and 14 years of age, toil for 14-16 hours a day in cottonseed production across the country. In Andhra Pradesh (AP), which accounts for 60 per cent of the hybrid cottonseed production, girls (mostly from the lower caste) earn about Rs 20 (1US$=Rs 45) per day; sleep in cowsheds or makeshift camps; and are constantly exposed to poisonous pesticides like endosulfan.

Dutch companies in India yet to live up to corporate responsibility (CSRDataNetworks.com):
Most multinationals do have an official corporate policy or a code of conduct on the issue, but hardly involve their Indian daughter company in its development.

Dutch firms urged to follow global social norms in India (Yahoo! News):
Dutch companies working in India are under fire for ignoring issues such as graft and religious bigotry in violation of corporate social responsibility norms.

Girls fettered: bonded labour on AP farms (Deccan Herald)
A new trend of employing young girls as "bonded labourers" has come into practice on hybrid cottonseed farms in south India in recent years, a recent survey reveals.
....
The study was commissioned by the India Committee of Netherlands. However, the MNCs do not own responsibility for employment of female child labour. One MNC said it did not employ child labour directly and this practice was being perpetuated by local farmers.

Monsanto, Unilever use child labour in India (IndiaResource.org)
Both Hindustan Lever Ltd., an Indian subsidiary of British-Dutch multinational company Unilever, as well as the American multinational Monsanto are making use of hazardous forms of child labour in cotton seed production in India on a large scale. An estimated number of 25,000 children, mostly girls, work an average of ten to thirteen hours a day for Hindustan Lever, while around 17,000 children work for Monsanto and their Indian subsidiary Mahyco.

Child Labour and Trans-National Seed Companies in Hybrid Cotton Seed Production in Andhra Pradesh (ICN):
A new system of employing female children as 'bonded labourers' has come into practice on hybrid cottonseed farms in south India in recent years. Local seed farmers, who cultivate hybrid cottonseeds for national and Multinational Seed Companies, secure the labour of girls by offering loans to their parents in advance of cultivation, compelling the girls to work at the terms set by the employer for the entire season, and, in practice, for several years. These girls work long days, are paid very little, are deprived of an education and are exposed for long periods to dangerous agricultural chemicals.