Sri Vijaya Puram: A growing number of current and former employees are speaking out about exploitative workplace conditions in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands’ retail sector, particularly within prominent retail clothing chains operating across the islands.
Workers describe a pattern of stagnant wages, excessive workloads, and surveillance-like monitoring in stores, often with little room for grievance redressal. The Wave Andaman spoke to a cross-section of current and former employees across the islands on condition of anonymity to understand the everyday realities of working in this sector.
The Wave Andaman is withholding the names of these retail chains in the interest of the workers who spoke out, as there is a genuine risk of retaliation, including termination or blacklisting.”
“Even after years of service, our salaries were never revised,” said a former employee who worked across multiple store branches. “We were asked to manage billing, stock, customer queries, basically do the work of three people, without any additional pay.”
Another former employee, a woman who spent several years with one such chain, recounted strict restrictions on personal freedom. “We got only two paid leaves a month, and we weren’t even allowed to talk to our colleagues freely. Every break, every restroom visit was watched,” she said. “It was mentally draining.”
A current sales associate at a well-known outlet in Bambooflat echoed these concerns. “We barely get a day off. During festivals, when work increases, we’re promised extra incentives, but it’s not enough. I support my parents on this salary, and the stress just keeps building,” she said.
Some workers reported working as long as 14 hours a day, often without any overtime pay or rest days. “If we refuse extra shifts, we’re told we can find work elsewhere,” one retail worker said. “But where else do we go? There are hardly any alternatives.”
Together, these accounts paint a disturbing picture of labour practices in the Islands’ expanding retail economy. With limited job options and the fear of being blacklisted, many employees say they are left with no choice but to endure difficult conditions in silence.
Despite a surge in retail-driven commercial activity across the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, particularly in towns like Sri Vijaya Puram, Bambooflat, and Rangat, enforcement of labour standards remains weak. No formal investigations into these allegations have been announced, and authorities have not issued any official statement. Notably, a vast majority of workers in these clothing stores are women, many of whom are sole or primary earners in their families. With few job options available in the private sector and limited access to government employment, many of these women say they feel trapped in these roles.
According to The Wave Andaman’s estimates, over 6,000 individuals are directly employed in the island’s retail sector, many in roles that fall outside formal contracts or regulatory protections. A 2023 internal memo by the labour department had flagged “increasing informalisation” and “weak oversight” in the retail space but did not name specific entities or outline corrective action.
Rising Income Gap Widens Divide in the Islands
Recent data highlights a growing income disparity in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. With a per‑capita net state domestic product (NSDP) of ₹2.29 lakh in 2021‑22, well below richer states such as Delhi or Goa, the union territory still ranks mid‑table nationally. The gap is reflected in urban retail hubs, where affluent consumers and well‑paid staff contrast sharply with lower‑paid retail workers and contract staff. As retail chains flourish and profits grow, incomes at the top end appear to accelerate. At the same time, frontline wages remain static, widening societal divides with little relief for the workers at the bottom.
As more testimonies emerge, workers and observers alike are calling for stronger regulatory checks, minimum wage compliance, and mechanisms for reporting workplace grievances, especially in retail, a sector critical to both employment and economic growth in the Union Territory.
