Association of Sweater Sellers’ Unions in the Wings
Tuesday, 25 July 2006, 12:30 p.m.
Dharamshala: If everything went to plan, various fraternities of Tibetan sweater sellers from across India will have formed an association by mid-August, at a conference organised by the Finance Department of the Central Tibetan Administration, somewhere near Delhi.
A draft proposal on the structure of this association will be tabled before some 94 leaders of 61 unions of sweater sellers from across India, who have confirmed their participation in the conference slated on 11 and 12 August.
“Such an association will solve many of the impending problems like the need to make adequate representation in the Indian government agencies and organisations,” the joint secretary of the Finance Department, Sonam Dorjee, told TibetNet.
“Such an association can initiate works to promote sweater selling, relief assistance in cases of unforeseen calamities, enhance the collective bargaining clout of Tibetans, educate on taxation, and above all, link the unions of sweater sellers with the exile Tibetan administration.”
“However, despite the obvious advantages, the association will be formed only if the majority of union leaders deemed it necessary after thorough discussions,” Mr Dorjee added.
Kalon Lobsang Nyandak Zayul, Kasur Tenpa Tsering, the respresentative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi, and Finance Secretary Sonam Topgyal Khorlatsang will address the conference, which will also provide “some practical tips on effective business communication, banking networking, risk sharing with the manufacturers in Ludhiana, etc.”
(www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration.)