13 workers, including four children, rescued from TN's Tiruppur garment unit

Thirteen workers, including four children, were rescued from a garment ironing and packing unit in Tiruppur following allegations of exploitative working conditions resembling bonded labour, officials said on Friday.

Acting on a complaint, a joint team led by Tiruppur Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Sivaprakash, North Tahsildar Govindasamy and North Police Inspector Rajinikanth inspected the facility in Bharathi Nagar on Goundanayakkanpalayam Road on October 8.

The complaint alleged that boys and girls from different districts were being housed at the unit and made to work without receiving proper wages.

During the inspection, officials found 13 people living and working at the premises. They included six young women and seven young men. Four of the workers were identified as child labourers, officials said.

The rescued workers are from various districts across Tamil Nadu, including Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem and Theni.

Officials questioned the unit's owner, identified as Sivakumar. The rescued children were taken into custody, and authorities sought details about their living conditions, food and wage payments.

Representatives of the establishment, however, claimed that the workers had been employed at the unit for the past six months and were paid their wages regularly.

The Revenue Department and police are conducting further investigations into the allegations.  (with inputs from PTI)