How Kerala’s trade unions have failed women

The first protest that P Viji ever organised was for toilets.

The year was 2010 and Viji had been running a tailoring shop on SM Street, in the coastal city of Kozhikode, Kerala, for more than 15 years. She had learnt tailoring and set up the shop after failing to get a job as a salesperson in larger shops in the street. “At that time, I was told that they would only hire fair-skinned girls in sales positions, and because I was dark skinned I would be of no use in their shops,” Viji said, as we sat in her office in the shop on a sultry December day. “So I decided to learn tailoring.”

Over the years, Viji formed friendships with other women working in the area. Though she was the proprietor of her establishment, most of the other women worked under other employers.

It pained Viji to hear of the challenges the women faced. “Saleswomen would not be allowed to sit down even once during their 10 or 12-hour shifts,” she said. “They were not even allowed toilet breaks. If they took an extra few minutes at the toilet, the boss would cut their salaries. Even during their menstruation days, they were not shown...

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