Pregnancy Penalized:

“It’s tough for pregnant women to work in the factory. The production targets are high and work is stressful. Working on shifts upsets the health of pregnant women more than others. Most women workers leave employment once they have a baby. It’s callous of the company to be insensitive to the needs of women, especially when 80 per cent of the workforce is female” Sumathi*, Worker, IMEI department

Local Youth Kept Out:

“Youth from communities close to the SEZ are denied employment. These companies do business on the lands our forefathers once ploughed. Those few local youth who are employed are discriminated against. They want only migrant workers as they would be more docile due to their vulnerabilities” Raman*, 25yrs, Shifting Department

Use and Throw:

“What worries us most is the uncertainty of employment. I have seen people more qualified than me being dismissed. I have now worked for a year. I do not know when I will be dismissed, too” Lakshmi *, 23yrs, Assembly Department

Cheated on Wages:

“I had attended a ‘Job Fair’ conducted by a private employment agent in Dharmapuri recruiting for mobile phone companies. I was told there will be annual increments in wages and bonuses. My monthly wages of Rs. 4,000 is hardly sufficient to meet my basic needs. We have no future and feel cheated” Selvam*, 24yrs, Operator

Our Health is not their Concern:

“Many of us in the production department have skin ailments like itching, eruptions and boils. Others have lower back pain, eye-irritation and joint pain. The factory does have some medical facilities, yet we are concerned about the lack of monitoring of our health as the toxics we work with could have long-term disabling impacts” Jaya*, 22yrs, Operator

*Name changed