Beedi workers stage statewide protest demanding revised minimum wages

Mangalore/Udupi, May 18: Members of Karnataka State Beedi Workers' Federation on Thursday staged a state-wide protest including in Mangalore and Udupi demanding final notification of revised minimum wages to beedi workers.

Addressing protesters in front of the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner of Mangalore Region at Kankanady, Federation president B. Madhava said that beedi workers would stop working if the State Government did not publish the gazette notification on the revised minimum wages for workers in the sector within the next seven days.

Mr. Madhava said that a committee appointed by the Government in its meeting on March 8, had resolved to revise the minimum wages for workers for rolling 1,000 beedis to Rs. 106.

It had also resolved to increase the dearness allowance of workers to three paisa per point if the consumer price index went up above 4,284 points.

Accordingly, beedi workers should get Rs. 116.20 including dearness allowance for rolling 1,000 beedis from April 1, 2012.

But owners of beedi companies had not implemented the revised scale stating that the Government had not issued a gazette notification on the revision.

He said the Government had constituted the committee under Section 5 (1) (A) of Minimum Wages Act. It had representatives from the government, workers' unions, and beedi companies.

Mr. Madhava said that the workers would intensify the agitation if the government ignored their demand.

Udupi

In Udupi the protest was held in front of the taluk office. Federation general secretary Ramesh Mendon told presspersons that the Government had agreed to revise the minimum wages for beedi workers to Rs. 116.20 for every 1,000 beedis after trilateral talks between the representatives of beedi firm owners, beedi workers, and the Government.

Nearly 10 lakh beedi workers in the State were expecting the final notification on the revised minimum wages, which were to come to effect on April 1, 2012.

But the Labour Department did not issue the final notification. With the result, the revised minimum wages had not come into force. This was grave injustice to beedi workers.

The Labour Department had shown lack of concern to beedi workers. These beedi workers tied beedis, despite the impact they had on their health, just to eke out a livelihood. The Labour Department had been inhuman in dealing with this issue.

The department wanted to protect the interests of a few owners of beedi firms by its inaction.

The Labour Department should immediately notify the revised minimum wages and make it effective from April 1, Mr. Mendon said.

Federation leaders P. Vishwanath Rai, Dogu Suvarna, Vittal Poojary, K. Lakshman, Indira Kukkikatte, Pushpa M., Revathi Majoor, Indira Kaup, and Prema were present.

The protestors later submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister at the taluk office.