PHOTOS: The precarious life of fisherfolk
This photo-essay explores the grueling daily lives of 'basket men' at the Kasimedu harbor in Chennai, India. Despite the physical hardship and lack of labor rights, workers describe a sense of community and personal satisfaction in their connection to the sea.
Why it matters
It sheds light on the informal labor sector and the lived experiences of marginalized workers in global supply chains.
He works from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day. In pitch darkness, he carries baskets of fish on his head from boats in Kasimedu harbor to the auction house, navigating slimy and damp pathways littered with fish scales and wet with seawater. It's a third of a mile each way. He makes the trip 40 or 50 times during his shift for the daily auction, which begins at 4 a.m.
Pavadairayan, who is 60 years old and goes by one name, is one of hundreds of workers known as basket men. It's a tough job. Each basket weighs about 35 pounds. Their bosses don't trust them: "If supervisors think that fish are missing, they can dock your pay and fine you several thousands of rupees. Basket men have few rights," he says.
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