The Hindu : Minimum wages for beedi workers sought

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 24, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mangalore

Minimum wages for beedi workers sought

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, JAN. 23. Leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have demanded concessions for the beedi industry. They have also sought minimum wages for beedi workers, and demanded that they be provided subsidised rations under the Antyodaya scheme.

Addressing a protest rally here today, the President of the State CITU unit, B. Madhava, said there were 7.5 lakh beedi workers in the State, and a majority of them were getting a raw deal from the beedi companies due to the "lopsided" labour policies of the Union Government.

He said about 75 per cent of them were getting only two days of work a week, that too at wages much below what had been fixed by the Government.

He noted that for the past 10 years, the beedi companies were facing financial difficulties due to the tax benefits extended to multinational mini-cigarette manufacturing companies by the Centre, due to which mini-cigarettes were being sold at the price of beedis. This was affecting the beedi market, he added.

He said the beedi companies were facing closure due to the levy of multiple point tax on packaging material such as tendu leaves, which came under agricultural produce and should be exempted from the tax. Beedi companies in the State were either closing down or moving elsewhere owing to low labour cost in other States.

Some were even outsourcing work to other areas, Mr. Madhava added.

The General Secretary of the CITU district unit, K. Sriyan, said the Government had not addressed the issue of minimum wages for beedi workers.

The State had 7.5 lakh beedi workers who were not getting minimum wages.

This had made them casual labourers, though they were eligible for minimum wages, he said.

Accusing the Union Government of failing to protect the interests of the labourers, Mr. Sriyan said the Centre had turned a Nelson's eye to the fact that beedi industries were slowly turning sick, which was preventing them from offering minimum wages or dearness allowances (DA) to their workers.

Presently, beedi workers were not getting more than Rs. 55 a day at an average of two days a week.

Many companies had not given DA for over 10 months to their workers, Mr. Sriyan pointed out.

The leaders handed over a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner along with a charter of demands that included immediate settlement of DA dues with retrospective effect from April 1 2003, minimum of six days work per week, payment of minimum wages, directive to small companies to implement the Beedi and Cigar Act in total, and providing good quality tendu leaves and other raw material as well as log books for beedi workers.

Protest in Udupi

Over 1,500 members of the Udupi District Beedi Workers' Federation affiliated to the CITU held a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here on Friday urging the State Government to fulfil their demands.

In a memorandum submitted to the Headquarters Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner, Madan G. Naik, to be forwarded to the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, the federation said the beedi industry in the State was in dire straits, as a result of which beedi workers were facing a hard time.

They alleged that poor quality tendu leaves were being provided to beedi workers.

Many beedi companies were not giving bonus, leave allowance, and other benefits to the beedi workers.

The beedi workers urged the Government to intervene in the matter.

Sadhu Amin, president of the federation, H. Vittal Poojary, vice-president, P. Vishwanath Rai, general secretary, Mahabala Vaderhobli, Ramesh Mendan, Dogu Suvarna, and K. Ratna Shettigar, office-bearers of the federation, David Karkada, president of the Udupi unit of the All India Kisan Sabha, and Kaviraj S., president of Students Federation of India district unit, were present.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

Minimum wages sought for beedi workers

Meeting seeks White Paper on Nada Geethe controversy

Counsellors told to attend to people in distress

Teach English with passion, says former Vice-Chancellor

Social work students told to address health issues

Management development programme

Minimum wages for beedi workers sought

Engagements