(Download) "Survival in the Era of the Post-Multifiber Arrangement: Experiences of Garment Workers in India (Third WORLD POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE)" by Journal of Third World Studies # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Survival in the Era of the Post-Multifiber Arrangement: Experiences of Garment Workers in India (Third WORLD POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE)
- Author : Journal of Third World Studies
- Release Date : January 22, 2008
- Genre: Politics & Current Events,Books,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 338 KB
Description
INTRODUCTION Until recently India pursued a dualist path in public policies on economic growth and development, comprised of large-scale manufacturing and agricultural modernization together with the promotion of small-scale enterprises. The strategy was characterized by inward-looking, state-regulated policies that were largely protectionist and focused on import-substituting industrialization. Reversal of this approach in 1991 marked the dramatic reorientation of policies, which aimed to foster increased economic development by shifting resources in favor of the market. The paper examines the implications of the neo-liberal reforms for workers in the Indian garment industry in the era of the post Multi Fiber Arrangement (hereafter post-MFA). I argue that the garment industry epitomizes the contradictory outcomes of post-Independence development strategies. Garment industry in the past thrived due to traditional labor skills and expertise. However, on the whole it produced fabrics and ready-made garments for local consumption, and production targets were set to achieve self-sufficiency for local needs. Based on recent fieldwork in West Bengal, (2) this paper will highlight the emerging problems that workers face as the Indian garment industry increasingly becomes tied to the global market. Focusing on the uneven impact of liberalization, this article is intended to demonstrate that, while garment "exporter-manufacturers" have largely accrued the benefits of the demise of the quota regime, there is growing informalization of labor and a rise in concealed inter-border trade.