Hundreds of textile workers in India's Tamil Nadu state have launched protests to demand that the first minimum wage increase in the southern state in more than 12 years is enforced. In July, the Madras High Court ordered a pay rise of up to 30 percent for hundreds of thousands of garment workers in Tamil Nadu, which plays home to factories supplying Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, H&M (which maintains upwards of 20 suppliers in Tamil Nadu), Zara and Wal-Mart. But appeals by manufacturers against the order have left workers in limbo, according to labor union leaders.
Under the 1948 Minimum Wages Act, state governments are required to increase the basic minimum wage every five years to protect workers against labor exploitation, but textile manufacturers have repeatedly challenged pay rises in Tamil Nadu.