𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗘𝗪𝗔’𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘁-𝗣𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀!!
SEWA's objectives of full employment and self-reliance for its members – the poor informal sector women workers, is manifested powerfully through its trade committees that embody SEWA's commitment to bringing voice, visibility, and validity to workers and their challenges, fundamentally transforming their lives and livelihoods.
In the arid Little Rann of Kutch, spread across Surendranagar, Morbi, Patan, and Kutch districts, over 25,000 salt-pan worker households – including women and children, endure harsh conditions to produce 60% of India’s inland salt. Historically invisible and voiceless, these salt-farmers have struggled without access to modern tools, financial resources, and direct markets, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and debt.
SEWA began organizing the women salt-farmers from Surrendranagar district in 1992, and established their own Salt-trade committee in 2007 with 70 representatives from 40 villages to bring together the workers who general live and work in isolation, facilitate a structured dialogue, give them an opportunity to share their stories, concerns and problems, gather courage and build collective strength to face challenges and problems together.
This committee has become a critical platform for advocacy, focusing on challenges in salt farming, income vs. expenditure, market access, government support, and the impact of climate shocks.
Kamuben Bhupatbhai from Morbi district reflects on her experience, "Initially sceptical, I now see the immense impact of organizing with SEWA and that of the trade committee on our trade. From bringing solar pumps to enabling the sale of our salt at fair prices, SEWA has indeed brought a golden sun into our lives."
The committee's regular discussions led to significant changes. One pivotal achievement was the introduction of solar pumps, which SEWA advocated to be subsidized, doubling incomes for over 7,000 workers and significantly reducing carbon emissions. The committee also empowers members to negotiate better rates for their salt directly with traders.
Recently, the Salt trade committee identified the challenge of unsold salt stocks in Venasar village. Understanding the urgency, SEWA and its agri-business enterprise, RUDI, used the power of organizing and collective bargaining to facilitate the sale of over 20,000 tonnes of salt, generating a cumulative income of INR 3.05 Crores for the families, demonstrating the power of collective bargaining.
This is a strong example of how Trade committees of informal sector women workers enables trade union of these workers play a transformational role in empowering poor women workers, turning their challenges into opportunities for growth and self-reliance.
#SEWA #SaltFarmers #WomenEmpowerment #TradeUnion #ClimateResilience
