Free trade policies have failed to provide the expected benefits to millions of Indian workers in the textile and leather industries. Many families have faced malnutrition, starvation and even suicide as a result and many more are threatened by current World Trade Organisation (WTO) proposals.

Of the 12.4 million handloom weavers in India, more than 500,000 live in and around Varanasi, weaving silk saris mainly for the domestic market. But since the 1990s - when free trade policies were introduced – these workers have seen the market for their products disappear, as cheap foreign imports have increased.

Vishambar, 35, from Varanasi has been a silk handloom weaver since childhood. But the downturn in the sector meant that he lost his job and his family began to suffer from hunger and malnutrition. In April 2005, his wife died from hunger-related illnesses, and just a few days later, his daughter also passed away. In May 2005, his two-month old son died of hunger. "I feel sad about the future filled with more deaths and everyone suffering. There is no work, I am just sitting begging.  I want to work for myself and for other people in my village." This devastation is mirrored across the country.

Shoe makers such as Hosiyar, from Agra, talks of the worsening situation for many Indians since trade liberalisation policies took place over 15 years ago: "The work is reduced now, because of the government. They keep importing shoes from outside… We have become jobless."

The picture does not get much better in areas where there has been an increase in employment, such as the garments industry. The majority of these jobs provide little long-term security and are poorly paid. Ninety per-cent of the workforce are casual workers and up to 70% of workers receive no social security. This export led growth is taking place on the back of exploitation. Prakash, from Delhi, who lost his job after asking for a pay rise, says: "I have lost my total income.  I’m also indebted… I don’t know what I should do."

The stories of Vishambar, Hosiyar and Prakesh expose the negative impacts that trade liberalisation policies have had on workers in traditional sectors of employment in India.

As the World Trade Organisation prepares to meet for it’s next summit in Hong Kong, ActionAid’s Trade Justice Campaign is calling on rich countries to ensure that the interests of all developing countries are at the core of any trade agreement. Read more about the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial.