FIROZABAD GLASS INDUSTRY @ CHILD LABOUR .

COM

ANIRWAN CHANDRA DUTTA; 10BSP0568

2012
CHILD LABOUR HAS NOW BECOME A MAJOR ISSUE IN OUR COUNTRY AND ALSO OUR FUTURE CONCERN, AN INSIGHT ON FIROZABAD GLASS INDUSTRY SHOWS THAT STILL CHILD WORKERS ARE EMPLOYED ON MASS SCALE BASIS TO CATER THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY AT A MUCH CHEAPER RATE.

FIROZABAD GLASS INDUSTRY @ CHILD LABOUR . COM

BACKGROUND
The Sadar Bazar of Firozabad is not only famous for the clinking colourful bangles, but also for the infamous Child Labour Market where one can hire the children a-la the Roman slave market of yore. The glass manufacturing industry in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, produces bangles, utensils, bulbs, decorative articles etc. The glass industry has been classified as hazardous and the employment of child labor (children below age 14 years) in it is prohibited. However, available research and literature indicated that child labor was concentrated mainly in the production of glass bangles. About over 50,000 children are generally believed to be engaged in the hazardous glass bangle industry of Firozabad. The process of manufacture of glass bangles is broken down into six separate stages and each stage is done by a separate specialized enterprise. At the first stage, the spring bangles are produced at a glass factory and it involves work at the furnace and handling, coloring, and shaping the molten glass into a spring form or rings. The subsequent processes like straightening, linking up the edges of the glass spirals, joining the edges, hardening them, cutting designs into them and coloring the bangles are done in separate stages by small informal sector enterprises using different tools like kerosene lamps, abrasive wheel, mud oven, and chemical colors for each of the processes. Unlike glass factories, these small informal sector enterprises are not registered and difficult to observe as they are often located inside households and in small alleys. Moreover, the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986. They work in bangle factory, work for eight hours and manage to earn 30 to 35 rupees day. They have no time for studies and I do not have an option. As for the reports of children being hired for labour, the concerned authorities feigned ignorance and even refuted any such practices in their jurisdiction. Although there is no confirmed data available on the total number of children employed in Firozabads bangle industry, but it is estimated that hundreds of child laborers are currently working in some 400 registered bangle units of the city.

Who is a child labour?

Child Labour is conventionally defined as a working child between age of 5 to 14 years who are doing labour or engaged in economical activity either paid or unpaid or underpaid . BY: ANIRWAN CHANDRA DUTTA 10BSP0568

FIROZABAD GLASS INDUSTRY @ CHILD LABOUR . COM

But this definition proves insignificant if we see the book where there is the picture of 3 years working in the match box industries so now we have to look for some other definition so let's see the definition of Child as given under child labour (prohibition and Regulation) act of 1986 this act defines child means a person who has not completed his fourteen years of age so by this definition age question of the child labour is solved.

KEY FINDINGS
The total number of child labourers employed in the glass bangle industry was estimated on the basis of the number of children employed in different stages of production. Of the approximately 60,000 child workers in the glass bangle industry, 9,400-11,000 are

children constituting about 16 to 19 percent of the workforce in this industry.

Employment of children was confined mostly to unskilled jobs like carrying and sorting in the glass factories. Within the stages of production where several different activities are performed, children do the least skilled of these activities (see table). In other words, children do not have unique or irreplaceable skills and are therefore not necessary for the glass bangles industry. The daily productivity per worker is between 12 to 32 tora (312 or 13 double dozen) bangles per day for different production stages. Children are commonly said by employers to work slower and take longer hours to achieve the same output as their adult counterparts. Each enterprise is paid on a piece rate basis. The wage payment system has a very strict control of the output. Teams of workers must achieve a prescribed minimum level of output in order to be given the agreed daily payment, and it often takes more than eight hours to achieve this minimum acceptable output. Since children are

said to work slower than adults, they generally need to work longer hours than BY: ANIRWAN CHANDRA DUTTA 10BSP0568

FIROZABAD GLASS INDUSTRY @ CHILD LABOUR . COM

adults in order to achieve the same output and therefore the same daily income. Working spaces are small and cramped. Burns and respiratory problems are common occupational health hazards

(see box). Several young males and adults were observed without the thumb or forefinger. Tuberculosis is a very

common health problem in Firozabad. Payment to child labourers are estimated to be about 15% of the total production so its per piece is around 4 to 5% each.

Many NGOs and nonprofit organizations like DISHA, CRY etc are working it out to solve the problem of child but still in vain. It is up to the government and we the people who have to take initiative to stop this ill practice.

Government should take strict actions in eradication of child labourer and we the people should also stop buying products in which there is a contribution of child labour. If these steps can be taken forcefully and effectively then we may keep a check on the employment of child labour.

BY: ANIRWAN CHANDRA DUTTA 10BSP0568