Help with children's education
When you use one of our products from Co-optex, you might think of some of the people involved in getting it to your kitchen.
All the work is done through a co-op based in the town of Chennimalai, in a major hand loom weaving area of south India. The co-op sells to Co-optex, which is the Tamil Nadu state government organisation responsible for marketing, including export.
Weavers like Krishnan run their own small businesses and work at home. The government ensures that he and his fellow co-op members get very good wages, have work all year and many benefits e.g. family health insurance, savings, pension, help with children's education and with new or updated looms and work sheds.
"I came to work here as I get a good salary and regular work" says Sivasubramanian (pictured right).
He has been a tailor for 15 years. He followed his father Guruswamy, who is a member of the small group who have a workshop in the co-op building.
Have a better deal
Elsewhere in the building is Shanthi (main picture), who does casual work including quality checking. She gets the going rate for the area, but this is not very high.
The co-op is set up to benefit hand loom weavers and they do very well, but Traidrcraft would like casual workers like Shanthi to have a better deal as well. We discussed this with Co-optex staff during a recent evaluation visit and they are going to look into making improvements.
Cooptex Background
The Tamil Nadu Hand Loom Weavers Co-operative Society (Co-optex) was established in 1935 and is a state government organisation which co-ordinates the work and sales of thousands of hand loom weavers in Tamil Nadu.
2012 Traidcraft | Fighting poverty through trade