Indian reforms target labour anarchy, but too late for some

THE ROOTS OF A RIOT The June 20 riot at the Orient Craft factory was sparked by an unfounded rumour that a worker had died from an electric shock. A similar rumour in February led to strife

at another nearby apparel exporter, Richa Global. Nobody was seriously hurt in these outbursts - unlike the 2012 riot at a Maruti Suzuki plant that left one executive dead and many injured.

Workers, labour officials and managers say the cost of living, low wages and conditions in slums where migrant workers stay keep Gurgaon’s labourers on edge. They can easily turn on their

bosses - even at firms like Orient Craft, known for its worker care. “When your life is so stressed, any trivial reason is capable of turning you violent,” said Akshay Kumar Pal, a

42-year-old worker from Uttar Pradesh state. Pal has lived for a decade in a cramped, dirt-floored room with a leaky roof in Gurgaon. In his block, 80 people live up to six per room, sharing

three toilets and a single water tap. Rents rise every year. Pal said he was a tailor at Richa Global until April when he was sacked, accused of involvement in the February riot. He says he

was not there. At Richa, Pal earned about $200 a month after 2-3 hours overtime every day. Half of his pay went on rent and food, leaving little for his wife and two daughters back home.

“There is a big mismatch between our wages and the cost of living,” he said. “You cannot survive without overtime.”