New Delhi: Global apparel major GAP Inc has banned the import of textiles and clothing from India, ostensibly due to the alleged use of child labour by one of its Indian sub-contractors in 2007. “GAP, the international textile retail chain, banned the import of Indian textiles and clothing on the pretext of Indian units using child labour,” minister of state for labour and employment Harish Rawat told the Lok Sabha on Monday, in a written reply to a question.
Following the ban, the government decided to take proactive measures such as external social audits, collaboration with local administrations and social activists, and examination of supply chain to ensure conformation to child labour laws, which don't allow employment of children below the age of 14 years.
A representative of apparel manufacturers and exporters confirmed that after the revelation on child labour, the textiles industry is strictly adhering to the laws. “We have put into place the necessary checks and balances to ensure that child labour laws are not violated,” Apparel Exporters & Manufacturers Association (AEMA) director general Prakash G Dudani told FE.
However, he denied the government's claim that GAP has completely stopped sourcing products from India. “The retailer has stopped sourcing apparels from Bangladesh and not from India. Though GAP's orders to India have shrunk by 25-35% since the discovery, it has more to do with the meltdown in the United States, where many apparel brands have filed for bankruptcy,” Dudani said.
Source : Financial Express