Soni Satti
On the International Women’s Day, over 2,600 women across Big Bazaar outlets in India appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save the livelihood of over 2,00,000 women working for the Future Group’s retail chain.
The group claims to represent more 2.1 lakh women – 10,000 women direct employees and another two lakh women indirectly earning their livelihoods through working or supplying products to Future Group brands such as Big Bazaar, and associated retail chains of Future Group such as fbb, Central, Brand Factory, Easy Day, Heritage City, etc.
According to the group’s appeal letter, “Future Retail and Reliance had entered into an arrangement through which Future’s retail stores will continue to be operated by Reliance. Reliance has also committed to clear all debts and dues owed by Future Retail to suppliers and vendors.
Since we had been facing tough times during the pandemic, this deal provided us with a lot of hope and confidence for our continued livelihoods. However, Amazon, the global American giant, has tried to stop this tie-up and consequently our future and that of our families hangs precariously.” it added.
The letter had noted that these small vendors and suppliers have become “collateral damage” in the current tussle between Amazon and Future group.
The letter states to the PM that “India’s daughters continue to live in fear and under the looming threat of cruel uncertainty to our livelihoods and lives. We are writing to you with hope and for your urgent help. In most cases, we are the sole earning members of our families. As sales associates, customer care executives, housekeeping and security staff, job workers in garment factories and sellers of food products, Big Bazaar and other retail chains have greatly helped us women to take care of our loved ones, small children, aged parents and also our extended family groups.’’.
The appeal further goes on to underscore the point that due to the fact that these women are so tied to their families, leaving the towns where they currently reside is not at all an option. According to the letter, “Without our jobs and sources of income, we would be left at the mercy of the cruel world. We shall all suffers deeply and our families will undergo untold and unimaginable hardships. Just to think of this, shatters our hearts.”