Tamil Nadu - Tirunelveli   

Beedi workers take out rally

Staff Reporter

Demand withdrawal of Centre's directive to print warning symbol on packs

TIRUNELVELI: Over 80,000 beedi workers took out a rally here on Tuesday, to protest against the Centre's directive to beedi makers to print a warning symbol on beedi packs from June 1.

They workers, who were brought to the VOC Stadium at Palayamkottai in hundreds of vehicles from various parts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts, wound their way through Rose Mary Matriculation Higher Secondary School Road, Military Line Road and District Police Office Road to St. John's College grounds, where a meeting was held.

They raised slogans demanding immediate withdrawal of the order. The ban on smoking in public places and sale of tobacco products in shops close to schools and places of worship had crippled the beedi industry and the directive would kill the "ailing business," they claimed.

Members of the Tirunelveli District Beedi Workers Federation, Khaja Beedi Workers' Union, Tirunelveli District Beedi Workers' Federation and other unions participated in the rally. Workers affiliated to the AITUC and the CITU did not take part.

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