KARNATAKA - India's biggest garment exporter, Shahi Exports, has become the first manufacturer to commit to paying workers arrears owed in a dispute over the minimum wage in the Indian state of Karnataka.
The company, which produces apparel for major brands including H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Nike, is one of many in Karnataka which had refused to honour a hike in the minimum wage which was supposed to have come into effect in April 2020.
The Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), which estimates the total amount of unpaid wages owed to more than 400,000 garment workers at nearly US$60 million, says Shahi Exports has now agreed to pay up.
