VZCZCXRO0829
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCG #0248/01 2112338
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 302338Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL CHENNAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2416
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3805
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000248 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI ECON ELAB IN
SUBJECT:  CHILD LABOR PERSISTS IN SOME PARTS OF FORMAL FIREWORKS 
INDUSTRY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Three children died in an explosion at a 
licensed fireworks factory near Madurai in southern Tamil Nadu.  The 
factory was in violation of a number of regulations at the time of 
the accident, including India's prohibition against employing 
children in the manufacture of explosives.  The factory owner has 
been arrested and his license to produce fireworks suspended, but 
local observers expect that the politically influential owner will 
ultimately get off easy.  The incident shows that child labor still 
exists in at least some parts of the formal sector of the fireworks 
industry in Tamil Nadu.  End summary. 
 
Children die in explosion at fireworks factory 
-------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Nineteen people, including three children, died in an 
explosion at the V.B.M. fireworks factory near Madurai, in southern 
Tamil Nadu on July 7.  The children who died ranged from 14 to 16 
years old.  As many as 21 others, including several children, 
suffered injuries in the accident.  The mishap took place at a 
fireworks manufacturing facility in Vadakampatti, located 
approximately 25 miles from Madurai.  Two more accidents at 
fireworks factories in the same region (on July 20 and 28) killed a 
total of 13 people, but there were no children among the fatalities. 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU) V.B.M. Fireworks has been in operation since first 
receiving a license in 1963.  The facility was in violation of 
numerous regulations when the accident occurred, including exceeding 
permitted work hours, failing to maintain proper records, and 
lacking proper fire exits.  V.B.M. also violated Indian law by 
employing children between 14 and 16 years of age.  Although V.B.M. 
did not violate India's child labor law, which bars children under 
14 years of age from working in hazardous industries (including 
fireworks manufacture), the company did run afoul of the Explosives 
Act's prohibition against children between 14 and 18 working in 
fireworks manufacture.  The company had employed children between 
the ages of 14 and 16.  A local journalist alleged that V.B.M. was 
able to continue operations by "greasing the palms of government 
officials."  A member of the Campaign Against Child Labor (CACL) 
also contended that the owner bribed local officials by giving them 
free fireworks.  He told post that he believed that between 30 and 
40 children worked at the factory, earning about one dollar a day 
for working four hours a day after school. 
 
Owner arrested, likely to get off easy 
--------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Superintendent of Police for Madurai district 
confirmed many of the code violations at the factory.  The factory's 
owner was arrested and V.B.M.'s license suspended.  The owner has 
been charged with a variety of offenses under the Indian Penal Code 
including sections 304A (death by negligence); 286 (negligent 
conduct with respect to explosive substance); 337 (causing hurt by 
act endangering life or personal safety of others); and 338 (causing 
grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 
as well as offenses under the Indian Explosives Act.  The CACL 
representative noted that charges did not include the factory's 
violation of the Explosives Act's bar against child labor, and 
speculated that the owner would soon be released because of his 
powerful connections in the local government. 
 
USG project sought to stop child labor in fireworks industry 
--------- 
 
¶5.  (U) India's fireworks industry has a long history of employing 
children.  Ninety percent of the country's fireworks are produced in 
and the around the city of Sivakasi in Virudunagar district, which 
adjoins Madurai district (where the V.B.M. facility is located).  In 
light of the industry's child labor problem, the joint U.S.-India 
INDUS Child Labor project targeted some areas of Virudunagar 
district, which also has a large matchstick industry.  The INDUS 
project, which ended on March 31, 2009, exceeded its initial target 
of removing 4,000 children from the Virudunagar fireworks and 
matches industries, ultimately removing from employment more than 
5,000 children according to preliminary reporting (the final project 
document has not been completed). 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The CACL representative estimated that ten percent of the 
Sivakasi's fireworks and matches workforce is composed of children. 
He said that children work after school and during holidays. 
Fireworks manufacturers, he said, usually use children to package 
finished fireworks but they also sometimes have the children fill 
the fireworks casings with explosives. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  The fireworks industry defends itself by 
claiming that only unlicensed, informal fireworks producers violate 
the prohibition against child labor in fireworks production.  But 
the tragic death of three children in the explosion at V.B.M. 
 
CHENNAI 00000248  002 OF 002 
 
 
Fireworks -- which was properly licensed -- demonstrates the 
existence of child labor in at least some fireworks manufacturers in 
the formal sector.  As is sadly true for other social ills 
confronting India, poverty, corruption, and weak law enforcement 
continue to remain obstacles to eliminating the problem of child 
labor.  End comment. 
 
SIMKIN