WESTERN retailers need to ensure garment workers are treated with “fairness and dignity”, the author of a new report has said, as it emerged employees in Indian factories making clothes for export are paid 11p an hour.
Tainted Garments, a new report on the conditions of work for women and girls in India’s garment sector, provides an insight into the daily life of workers.
Low wages, a lack of medical care when workers suffer a work-related injury, and hazardous working conditions have all been exposed in the study.
Often working from home, employees were typically involved in putting the “finishing touches” onto the designs, such as embroidery, tasselling, fringing, beadwork, and buttons.
The intricate detail of the work can lead to chronic illness, including back pain, diminishing
eye sight, and body aches, the report said.
Siddharth Kara is the author of the study. The academic told Eastern Eye: “Just because a worker may be separated by a few thousand miles and (there are) a few layers in a supply chain from the executives of a company, it does not mean that those workers should not be considered as equal employees of the company and treated accordingly,” he said.
In other key findings, the report found one in 10 people in northern India were trapped in forced labour while an estimated six per cent were in bonded labour, where an individual is made to work to pay off debts.
It also stated none of the workers belonged to a trade union or had a written agreement for their work. This would then contribute to the exploitative nature of the work, leaving workers with no way of seeking compensation or support if they experienced unfair or abusive behaviour.
For instance, many of the workers (35.5 per cent) claimed they had experienced a delay in receiving their wages, by a few weeks or months.
Kara, a lecturer at the University of California, said this could cause “severe harm” to informal workers and their families.
“When the already depressed wages are delayed or go unpaid, the family unit suffers
even more, putting addition pressure on children to work, or for women and children to accept exploitative labour conditions simply to ensure base survival,” he explained.
Of the 1,452 workers interviewed, 17.3 per cent documented were children, more than half of whom did not attend school.
Of the children they interviewed in northern India, many of the child labourers who had attended school were forced to drop out when their families could no longer afford the fees.
Researchers confirmed they had witnessed dozens of children under 10 working alongside their mothers.
According to children’s charity UNICEF, more than one billion children are affected either directly or indirectly through global supply chains.
A UNICEF spokesperson told Eastern Eye: “We urge all businesses to meet their responsibility and respect children’s right”.
Although no Western brands were specifically named in the report, it was stressed that
almost all the individuals documented in this project were working on garments bound for export to major brands in the United States and the European Union.
When approached by Eastern Eye on the report’s findings, a H&M spokesperson said every garment worker should earn enough wages to satisfy the basic needs of workers and their families as well as providing some discretionary income.
Agreeing that wages in the textile and garment industry are “too low”, the spokesperson said: “As an industry, we have a shared responsibility to ensure that jobs created in developing countries lead to better lives for the people and communities involved.”
“Change will not happen overnight, but gradually we see positive change and we are optimistic about the future. We want wages in the textile and garment industry to increase and all workers to earn a fair living wage, which is why we are continuing to work closely with industry stakeholders and partners to agree how to achieve a sustainable change.”
Other major retailers, such as Gap and M&S, did not respond for comment.
Kara said he hoped the findings would motivate brands to ensure transparency and the dignity of work all the way through their supply chains.
“Ensuring fair wages and formalising the home based garment sector with employment agreements and unionisation would empower millions of otherwise heavily exploited women and allow their children to go to school rather than sit alongside them embroidering and sewing the clothes we wear every day,” he said.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission and Keir Starmer, prime minister of the UK greet each other, ahead of their bilateral meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit on May 16, 2025 at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer is set to sign a new deal with the EU seeking to reset ties after Brexit, his office said ahead of landmark talks.
Starmer will meet on Monday (19) with EU chiefs for the first post-Brexit EU-UK summit aimed at agreeing steps towards a closer relationship between Britain and the 27-country bloc which it left five years ago after an acrimonious and knife-edge referendum.
"This week, the prime minister will strike yet another deal that will deliver in the national interest of this country," Downing Street said in a statement, also pointing to recent trade deals with the US and India.
Britain left the EU in 2020, but the prime minister has been trying to boost ties with the country's biggest trading partner.
Starmer will welcome EU bosses Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa as well as top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas for Monday's talks at the storied Lancaster House venue in London.
"The prime minister will set out how a strengthened, forward-looking partnership with the European Union will deliver for working people and lead to more money in pockets," the statement said.
Talks looked set however to go down to the wire due to last-minute squabbling over long-standing issues, such as fishing rights and food checks.
But negotiators were hopeful of at least signing a defence and security partnership.
Starmer, elected Labour prime minister last July, wants a deeper relationship with the European Union than the one negotiated by the previous Tory government.
That deal "isn't working for anyone", Starmer's office said.
The move is aimed at opening the door to closer cooperation as both the EU and Britain race to rearm in the face of the threat from Russia and fears the US under president Donald Trump will no longer help protect Europe.
That should mean more regular security talks, Britain considering joining EU military missions and the potential for London to fully tap into a $167 billion (£137bn) defence fund being set up by the bloc.
But Starmer has several red lines he has said he will not cross, while sticking points remain over some EU demands that threaten to stall the rapprochement.
In an interview with The Times on Saturday (17), Starmer said a deal would be a "really significant moment".
Starmer has ruled out rejoining the customs union and single market but has suggested that the UK is ready for regulatory alignment with the EU on food and agricultural products.
EU diplomats in Brussels have been working on getting Britain to keep its waters open for European fishermen in return for easing the checks on some food imports from the UK.
And Starmer appeared to have made a key concession by agreeing to an EU demand and clearing the way to let young Europeans live and work in Britain under a youth mobility scheme.
While freedom of movement was a "red line," he told The Times, "youth mobility is not freedom of movement".
Starmer is approaching the scheme cautiously under pressure from rising support for Nigel Farage's anti-immigration and Euro-sceptic party Reform UK, which made huge gains in local elections earlier this month.
He said late Saturday in a statement that on Monday "we take another step forwards, with yet more benefits for the UK as the result of a strengthened partnership with the European Union".
"In this time of great uncertainty and volatility, the UK will not respond by turning inwards, but by proudly taking our place on the world stage."
A 27-YEAR-OLD American-Lebanese man was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison for attempting to murder novelist Salman Rushdie at a New York cultural event in 2022.
Hadi Matar was convicted in February of attempted murder and assault after he stabbed Rushdie, leaving the author blind in one eye.
In Chautauqua County Court, Matar received the maximum sentence of 25 years for the attack on Rushdie and seven years for assaulting the event’s moderator. Judge David Foley ordered both sentences to run concurrently.
Rushdie did not attend the sentencing but submitted a victim impact statement.
Matar also faces separate federal terrorism charges that could lead to a life sentence.
Video footage played during the trial showed Matar rushing the stage and stabbing Rushdie with a knife.
"It was a stab wound in my eye, intensely painful, after that I was screaming because of the pain," Rushdie told jurors, adding that he was left in a "lake of blood."
Matar, who stabbed Rushdie about 10 times with a six-inch blade, shouted pro-Palestinian slogans during the trial.
He told the media he had only read two pages of Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses but believed the author had "attacked Islam."
His lawyers tried to stop witnesses from describing Rushdie as a victim of persecution linked to the 1989 fatwa by Iran that called for the author's death over alleged blasphemy in the novel.
Iran has denied any involvement and said Rushdie alone was responsible for the attack.
Life-threatening injuries
Rushdie’s right optic nerve was severed. His Adam's apple was lacerated, and his liver and small bowel were punctured. He also suffered permanent nerve damage in one arm, leaving one hand paralysed.
Bystanders intervened to stop Matar during the attack. In 2023, Rushdie published a memoir called Knife about the incident.
His publisher announced that a new short story collection, The Eleventh Hour, will be released on 4 November 2025.
Rushdie, who was born in Mumbai and moved to England as a child, gained prominence with his 1981 novel Midnight’s Children, which won the Booker Prize for its depiction of post-independence India.
But The Satanic Verses drew intense controversy and led to global protests. Following the fatwa, Rushdie lived in hiding in London for a decade before moving to New York, where he had lived relatively openly for two decades before the 2022 attack.
The UK is expected to enjoy warm weather this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 23°C, higher than those in Ibiza. The mild conditions come after a week of sunshine, with London hitting 24°C on Wednesday.
Most parts of the country are likely to experience sunny spells and above-average temperatures over the weekend. However, northern and eastern areas may see cooler conditions, along with patches of drizzle.
While the warm weather is expected to extend into the early part of next week, forecasters have indicated that the bank holiday weekend could bring more unsettled conditions, including rain in some regions.
The anticipated rainfall would be timely, as the Environment Agency has issued a warning of a medium risk of drought in England this summer. This follows a relatively dry start to spring, raising concerns about water levels heading into the warmer months.
Although the warm spell is a welcome change, experts are continuing to monitor weather patterns closely ahead of the summer. Britons are being advised to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, with the outlook for the long weekend remaining uncertain.
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Lammy also commented on India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, saying, 'We would urge all sides to meet their treaty obligations.'
FOREIGN SECRETARY David Lammy said on Saturday that Britain is working with the United States to ensure the ceasefire between India and Pakistan holds, and to support confidence-building measures and dialogue between the two sides.
Speaking in Islamabad at the end of a two-day visit, Lammy said, “We will continue to work with the United States to ensure that we get an enduring ceasefire, to ensure that dialogue is happening and to work through with Pakistan and India how we can get to confidence and confidence-building measures between the two sides.”
Pakistan has said that Britain and other countries, along with the United States, played a key role in helping de-escalate the recent fighting between the two countries. The ceasefire was brokered on May 10 after diplomatic efforts, but diplomats and analysts have said it remains fragile.
Tensions rose after a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir, which India has blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement. Both countries fired missiles onto each other’s territory during the escalation.
US president Donald Trump has said talks should take place in a third country but no venue or dates have been announced.
“These are two neighbours with a long history but they are two neighbours that have barely been able to speak to one other over this past period, and we want to ensure that we do not see further escalation and that the ceasefire endures,” Lammy said.
Lammy also commented on India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, saying, “We would urge all sides to meet their treaty obligations.”
India had said last month that it had “put in abeyance” its participation in the 1960 treaty that governs use of the Indus river system. Pakistan has said any disruption to its water access would be considered an act of war.
Lammy said Britain would continue to work with Pakistan on countering terrorism. “It is a terrible blight on this country and its people, and of course on the region,” he said.
Lammy criticised Russia following brief talks with Ukraine on a potential ceasefire. The meeting ended in under two hours, and Trump said no progress was possible until he met Russian president Vladimir Putin directly.
“Yet again we are seeing obfuscation on the Russian side and unwillingness to get serious about the enduring peace that is now required in Ukraine,” Lammy said. “Once again Russia is not serious.”
“At what point do we say to Putin enough is enough?” he said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Using forged documents claiming he had a law degree and a false CV, Rai gained employment at two law firms in Gloucestershire and a construction company in Bristol.
A 43-year-old man has been sentenced after using fake identity documents and forged academic certificates to secure jobs at law firms and a construction company.
Aditya Rai was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court to 20 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He had pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery, and identity-related offences.
The court heard Rai used a false passport and a fake UK driving licence under the name Ali Ryan, with a photo of himself and a false date of birth. He also opened bank accounts under the same false identity.
Using forged documents claiming he had a law degree and a false CV, Rai gained employment at two law firms in Gloucestershire and a construction company in Bristol. In total, he earned around £10,000 before resigning from one firm and being dismissed from another following reference checks, according to Gloucestershire Police.
He had previous convictions, which he concealed by using a false identity. A search of his home in June 2022 led to the seizure of his laptop, which contained fake documents and a forged driving licence.
Rai had been on remand since February 2025 after being arrested at a port with a false Irish licence. He was identified by his tattoos and arrested for failing to attend court.
He also admitted to an offence investigated by North Wales Police involving a fake Republic of Ireland driving licence. Two further fraud offences were taken into consideration.