Social dimensions in the Indian brick sector: Challenges and way forward

Organisers: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), All India Brick and Tiles Manufactures Federation (AIBTMF) and Brooke India

About the event

This workshop will bring together relevant stakeholders – policy makers, government authorities, social researchers, development professionals, and brick entrepreneurs and associations – from across India to share their perspectives and understanding of the existing social challenges in the brick sector.

The workshop will focus on four key domains: (1) ending child labour, (2) ensuring transparent employment conditions, (3) improving basic workplace facilities, and (4) ensuring a safe workplace for women workers. Participants will discuss existing policies, procedures, and practices related to these domains and contextual governance mechanisms to address social challenges.

We are organising this workshop under the framework of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP).

Objectives

The consultation workshop aims to achieve a coherent understanding of social challenges in the Indian brick sector and determine the way forward to address them.

Specific objectives include:

• Identify and build a shared understanding of the existing social challenges in the brick sector and identify the way forward (e.g. development and implementation of a social code of conduct).
• Engage with relevant stakeholders to plan interventions that address social challenges in the brick sector.

Expected outcomes

The workshop is expected to lead to the development of a comprehensive mechanism, such as a social code of conduct, to address identified social challenges in the Indian brick sector.

Background

Brick production is considered an informal sector that relies heavily on manual labour. In India, there are approximately 200,000 brick kilns that employ more than 23 million workers on a seasonal basis.

We are working to increase awareness among brick workers and entrepreneurs about the social and gender aspects of brick production, which are as important as adopting clean and efficient technologies. This will enable collaborative research interventions that address gender and social issues in brick factories.

In Nepal, ICIMOD collaborated with the Federation of Nepal Brick Industries (FNBI) to develop the Social Code of Conduct for Nepal’s brick sector in accordance with government legislation. This example can be used to build on and organise social affairs and organise social affairs in the Indian brick sector.

Tentative agenda