The price of luxury

Many tens of thousands of workers in Antwerp and Amsterdam once transformed rough stones into their coveted, sparkling forms. Through their craftsmanship, they created the exclusivity and value of this luxury product par excellence. Over time, the Antwerp diamond industry therefore enjoyed great prestige. The skill of the diamond workers formed the basis of Antwerp's reputation as the world centre for diamonds.

Exactly 100 years after the first international diamond trade union was founded (the World Federation of Diamond Workers, formed from militant unions in Amsterdam and Antwerp in May 1905), a historical, globalised situation has emerged. In Belgium, diamond workers are becoming a rare breed. Meanwhile, in a country like India, where at least 750,000 workers now account for most of the global diamond processing industry, trade unions are particularly weak. The history of Antwerp's 'diamond sector' a hundred years ago reads like déjà vu compared to what is happening in low-wage countries today.

The epicentre of diamond processing has now shifted almost entirely from Antwerp to the Indian city of Surat, and to a lesser extent to Thailand and China. Surat, a bustling city of 2.5 million people north of Mumbai, is considered one of the strongest beating hearts of India's 'booming' economy. It is a city that never sleeps. Reporters Hans van Scharen and Dieter Telemans travelled there and produced a report on dazzling luxury and abysmal working conditions.

Photo's: © Dieter Telemans