A recent article in the New Indian Express sheds light on the increasing spate of layoffs in the leather industry in Tamil Nadu. These comprise tanneries, shoe-making units, and allied industries that employ more than 1.5 lakh workers in Vellore, Tirupathur, and Ranipet districts. A major proportion of these workers are women.
Speaking to the reporter, Pradeepan Ravi of Cividep confirmed the severity of the situation facing the workers – “The impact of the pandemic on workers is very severe with the international supply chain getting affected. Most of them are from socially backward sections and do not have alternative employment… Many first-generation workers had a lot of hope but the pandemic has dashed it,”
Read the entire piece here.