In a survey of 1,000 factories in the country producing clothes for UK retailers, 19% of Lidl’s suppliers made the claim, as did 11% of Inditex’s, 9% of H&M’s and 8% of Next’s.

A majority of suppliers of those four brands, and also of Tesco and Aldi, told researchers that almost two years after Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic they were still being paid at the same rate – despite soaring raw material and production costs in the interim.

Almost half of Primark’s suppliers questioned said they did not see an increase in payment rates, with just over a third saying orders had been cancelled, according to the research by the University of Aberdeen and the UK-based fair trade campaign group Transform Trade, formerly known as Traidcraft Exchange.

Their report, which looked at the period from March 2020 to December 2021, found larger brands buying from 15 or more factories were more likely to be engaging in unethical practices, such as delaying payments or cancelling orders, than smaller ones. These bigger operators included members of the UK’s Ethical Trading Initiative, an alliance of companies, NGOs and unions set up to improve relations with suppliers.

Fiona Gooch, a senior policy adviser at Transform Trade, called for a fashion watchdog to regulate UK garment retailers in a similar way to the Grocery Supply Code of Practice, which oversees relations between suppliers and retailers selling more than £1bn of groceries a year.

“This research is a wake-up call,” she said. “We need a fashion watchdog to stop unacceptable purchasing practices of the clothing retailers benefiting from large consumer markets, along the same lines as existing protections for food suppliers.

“Only when suppliers are able to plan ahead, with confidence that they will earn as expected, can they deliver good working conditions for their workers.”

In a response published within the report, Lidl said it had “committed itself to ensuring minimum wages in its supply chain and to ensuring the sustainable pre-planning of the production of textile goods”.

It added: “Lidl takes its responsibility towards workers in Bangladesh, and other countries where our suppliers produce, very seriously and is committed to ensuring that core social standards are complied with throughout the supply chain.”

Next said it “completely refutes the suggestion that its suppliers are being paid the same (or less) than before the pandemic”. The company said it had gone on record about rising supplier costs and its profit margins had remained stable while prices for customers had gone up, indicating it had paid suppliers more.

Inditex said it had participated in global action to support the garment industry including factory workers. It said: “We guaranteed payment for all orders already placed and in process of production and worked with financial institutions to facilitate the provision of loans to suppliers on favourable terms.”

Primark admitted it had been forced to cancel some orders during the pandemic when nearly all its shops had to close for a period of time. However, it said it had tried to support workers: “In April 2020, we established a wages fund in excess of £22m with the aim of supporting suppliers’ ability to pay their workers, and from which Bangladeshi suppliers with garment orders due to be handed over to us within 30 days of the cancellation would have received payment.”

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We are committed to fair and transparent partnerships throughout our supply chain, and we worked closely with our clothing suppliers to support them through the challenges of the pandemic. To ensure that they could continue to pay their workers fairly, we did not cancel any orders, did not penalise late deliveries, and honoured our payment terms in full.”

Aldi said the report had not recognised that the brand was split into two entirely separate businesses – Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud, which includes the UK chain, and so the responses did not give a clear picture of the latter’s behaviour.

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If you prefer to drive in India, you’ll need a valid driving license. However, several requirements must be fulfilled before you can ultimately acquire your West Bengal driving licence.

It’s worth noting that you may use your Indian driving licence to drive anywhere in the country, regardless of which RTO issued it.

Because each state has its own set of regulations regarding driving licence, let’s look at the city of West Bengal today to see how the RTOs work.

Eligibility To Apply for A Four-Wheeler Driving Licence in West Bengal

The applicant can only apply for the driving licence exam in West Bengal if he or she meets the following requirements:

• To apply for a motorbike driving licence with a capacity of 50cc or less, you must be 16 years old.
• The applicant must be at least 18 years old to operate a vehicle with an engine capacity of more than 50cc (geared or gearless).
• If the candidate intends to take the driving licence exam for a commercial vehicle or any type of transportation vehicle, he or she must be at least 20 years old.
• A learning permit should have been given to the applicant for a driving licence. After receiving a learning licence, you have just 30 days to apply for a permanent driving licence.
• The applicant for a driving license must have a sufficient understanding of on-road norms and regulations and be able to handle the vehicle confidently.

Documents Required for Getting a Four-Wheeler Learning Licence in West Bengal

To get a driving licence in West Bengal, an applicant must provide the papers listed below.

Age Proof (Anyone):

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Employer’s certificate 
• PAN card
• Aadhar Card
• SSC Certificate

Address Proof (Anyone):

• Voter’s ID
• Passport
• Ration card
• Rent agreement, in case you don’t have a permanent residential address in the state
• Life insurance policy bond
• Utility bills, i.e., the electricity or gas bill
• Aadhar Card

Other Documents:

• Application Form 4
• Passport size photographs
• Application Form 5, if applying for a commercial DL
• Medical certificate and physical fitness form 1 and 1A

How To Get a Learning Licence for A Four-Wheeler in West Bengal?

West Bengal residents can apply for a learning licence online or in person. The following is the online process to apply for a learning licence.

Learning Licence Online Process:

• Go to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ official website.
• Hover your cursor over ‘Online Services’ on the home page to find it.
• Select ‘Driving Licence Related Services’ from the displayed selection menu.
• Choose ‘West Bengal’ from the drop-down menu on the redirected page.
• Then choose ‘Learning Licence’ from the ‘Apply Online’ menu.
• On the following page, read the instructions and then click ‘Continue.’
• Fill out the application form completely and accurately. Select ‘Submit’ from the drop-down menu.
• Upload scanned pictures of the papers you’ve been asked to provide.
• Also, include soft copies of your signature and photo.
• Choose a time for the learning permit exam.
• Pay the application fee as well as the price for the learning permit exam.
• On the day of the exam, go to the RTO.

The RTO will provide an online exam to evaluate the candidate’s understanding of traffic regulations, road signs, and driving duties, among other things. Only when an individual passes this online exam can a learning license be provided. If a person fails the exam the first time, he or she can reapply by paying the retest cost.

The learning licence is only valid for 6 months. So, go to the RTO and apply for a permanent driving licence before the six-month period expires. Otherwise, you’ll have to go through the full procedure again.

– Please keep in mind that you must wait at least 30 days before applying for a permanent driving licence.

Apply For Driving Licence for Four-Wheeler in West Bengal

Before your learning licence expires, you must apply for a permanent driving licence.

To apply for a driving licence online, follow the procedures outlined below:

• Go to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ official website.
• Under the heading ‘Driving Licence,’ look for ‘Apply online.’
• After you’ve clicked ‘Apply online,’ go to ‘New Driving Licence.’
• Follow the directions on the redirected page and then click “Continue.”
• Fill in the blanks on each page with the information needed.
• Upload the relevant papers, as well as a current passport-sized photo and signature, if applicable.
• If your state allows it, schedule a test slot for your driving test.
• Make a payment for the required driving license.
• After you pass the exam, your permanent driving licence will be sent to your address.

Driving Licence Test Process

To pass a car driving exam, the candidate must utilize mirrors, observe all traffic regulations, remember any signs he or she may encounter, shift gears accurately, and use suitable hand signals. Inspector will observe your driving skills by sitting beside the candidate. The inspector may require that the individual do an 8-shaped track test, an S-shaped reverse test, or a parallel parking test.

The RTO generally provides the driving licence document or smart card to the applicant’s home address within 30 days if the applicant passes the practical driving license exam.

We hope that this article has clarified the process of applying for a driving licence in West Bengal. 

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