Indian shop assistants finally win the right to sit down, after years of standing up

On her feet at work for 10 hours each day, Indian shop assistant S Lakshmi (not her real name) lumbers home at the end of her shift to nurse her aching legs and swollen ankles.

Key points: Tamil Nadu has become the second Indian state to introduce a "right to sit" law

Tamil Nadu has become the second Indian state to introduce a "right to sit" law Thousands of low-paid shop workers face exhausting conditions and are spied on by their employers

Thousands of low-paid shop workers face exhausting conditions and are spied on by their employers Advocates say the new law will need to be enforced to be counted a success

However, for Ms Lakshmi and many other workers, relief may be in sight.

Last month, Tamil Nadu became the second Indian state to enshrine the "right to sit" for retail staff in law.

The order requires store owners to provide seating and let employees take the weight off their feet whenever possible during the working day.

"Until now, the only solace during these long shifts would be the 20-minute lunch break and the few seconds we would lean against the shelves to support our aching feet," Ms Lakshmi, a clothing store assistant, said.

"Even sitting on the floor if there were no customers wasn't allowed."

India's fast-growing retail sector is a pillar of the economy, accounting for 10 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 8 per cent of jobs, according to Invest India, the country's investment promotion arm.

In southern states, including Tamil Nadu, big family-run chains dominate the jewellery and clothing sectors, and they hire women from lower-middle-class homes to serve their mainly female clientele.

The new legal amendment to protect workers' health is welcome but overdue, according to M Dhanalakshmi, Tamil Nadu state convener of the Working Women's Coordination Committee, a wing of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions.

"This has been a long-pending demand," she said.

"From the time they board the bus to get to work until they return home after a 12 or 14-hour shift, they barely sit.

"There are health issues like varicose veins that they grapple with and [they] work under constant stress. This rule is long overdue."

The neighbouring state of Kerala brought in a similar law in 2018 following protests by sales staff in textile shops.

The law requires store owners to let employees sit whenever possible during the working day. ( Reuters: Niharika Kulkarni )

'The law has no meaning if it isn't enforced'

P Viji is a tailor who helped lead "right to sit" street protests in Kerala, forming a union for previously unorganised labour sectors such as shop assistants.

She said she was "thrilled" about the legal change in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

"But the real test is implementation. As a union, we constantly check stores and lodge complaints if [seating] facilities aren't there.

"The law has no meaning if it isn't enforced."

At her store in the town of Avinashi in Tamil Nadu, Ms Lakshmi said she doubted the new legislation would make much difference to her working life.

"When there aren't any customers, we're folding, sorting and reorganising shelves," she said.

"The managers are very, very strict.

"They make sure we're on our toes, so even if the chairs do arrive, I don't know if I'll actually be able to sit during work hours."

Fight for better working conditions continues

Not being able to sit down is just one of the daily hardships faced by Indian shop workers, union leaders and women's rights campaigners said.

Shop assistants are often paid less than the minimum wage and forced to work seven days a week.

Shop assistants often work seven days a week. ( Reuters: Vivek Prakash )

Many complain of being under constant surveillance by managers and facing restrictions on using the bathroom.

"The right to sit was one of the demands that has been met, but there's a long way to go," Ms Dhanalakshmi said.

"The battle for fair wages, proper restroom breaks and less surveillance continues.

"While shop owners justify CCTV cameras, saying it prevents thefts by customers, they in fact use it to spy on workers.

"The atmosphere in stores is stifling."

Unions in Kerala are demanding curbs on CCTV monitoring of workers, which Ms Viji says is used to punish workers for talking to colleagues or briefly leaving their posts.

"There are instances when salaries are cut. We're asking the labour department to regulate the monitoring, reduce the number of cameras and the number of hours a worker is being watched," she said.