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Is Work Organisation Causing Precariousness? Insights from Textile Industry in South India

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  • Nandini Ramamurthy

    (Tata Institute of Social Sciences)

Abstract

This article illustrates workers' precarity in the textile industry using economic and social upgrading, underscoring the difference in work organisations-buyer and supplier, reorganizing work, and applying socio-demographic features. The study uses exploratory-based framework to understand the root causes of precariousness in 12 suppliers' work organisations in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu. The research shows that intensity of economic upgrading is high across all suppliers' work organisation, which are, large, medium, small, micro, power table, collective self-help group (SHG) for women. The national buyers shields their behavior under the international buyers. Distinction in buyers practices could result in social upgrading, but suppliers' work organisation continue to extract profits and improve profit margin-exacerbating workers' precariat conditions. Analysis of the re-organisation of work and socio-demographic features probes into precarisation. The precariat spectrum depicts that suppliers' work organisation is the recipient of precarity, and the agents that transfer precariousness to the workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Nandini Ramamurthy, 2021. "Is Work Organisation Causing Precariousness? Insights from Textile Industry in South India," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 64(4), pages 1115-1134, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:64:y:2021:i:4:d:10.1007_s41027-021-00346-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s41027-021-00346-6
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