The match industry in Sivakasi: a case study of technology, working conditions, and self-employment

Abstract

This case stuidy of the matchi industty int Sivakasi suggests thzat technical knowbot aiAd skills per se would niot hlelp a worker to beniefit from his contribution to thle vaXlue addition in an economic activity. To do so hie needs to be able to undertLke by hiimself all functional operations suchl as procuring rawc mnaterials, fianctne and mtarketing. This is highly uinlikely to hlappen with the individuXl efforts of resource-poor workers, especially if their product is a day-to-day consumer item to be marketed amidst severe comnpetition. External support *in terms of finance, rawt material supply, organisational umbrella, andn market assistance is crucial to them. Though the workers in this case showed a favourable response to institutioinal patronage and, support of an exteinatil agency (the KVIC) thzey couild not be nursed into self-sustaining entrepre nleurs as thae 5up7Jort institultion ICas too ill-equtipped - in termns of infrastructure, people and funds -for the task. It could nIot, in adv-ance, comprehend the necessity and imlportance of building a distribuitioni nietwuork and acquiring a hol(d oni the niarket, nor did it anticipate other stumbling blocks like raw, material shlortag,e and complex;ities of quaility control. Whien it lost the hold over the market fun?ction - the cruiciail rein - all other developmenlt measures failed to push the programnme to success. The target gtroup turned ouit to be feeble entrepreneurs whlose earnings and positions shiow;- ed little inlrovement.