Beedi workers again appeal for DA that was fixed by Govt

Beedi workers again appeal for DA that was fixed by Govt

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 30, 2014:  Reports have come that members of ’Beedi and Tobacco Labour Union’  have appealed to the beedi company owners to provide the dearness allowance (DA), which was announced by the government.  beedi workers staged a protest in front of Bharath Beedi Branch Office at Kudroli in Mangalore. Earlier, they took out a rally from Government Women’s College in Car Street to the programme venue and raised slogans against the beedi companies for not making the payment of DA to the beedi workers.

Beedi and Tobacco Labour Union Secretary V S Berinja alleged that though the dearness allowance of Rs 21.15 for thousand beedis has been announced by the government with effect from the month of April 1 this year, the DA has not been paid by the company owners. The companies still pay only the old Rs 116 for thousand beedis.

The requests of beedi workers with the company owners to pay the DA, have gone in vain. Hence, the union is conducting protests in front of various beedi company branches, he added.  Berinja further alleged that the owners of various beedi companies have been putting pressure on the union leaders to compromise with the low wages. But this should not happen. The company owners may have their difficulties but the poor families of beedi workers are having more problems, he said and felt  need of better government policies in this regard.

In beedi companies also, the beedi workers should be provided good drinking water facilities and toilets, along with health insurance, provident fund and minimum wages, he urged and warned of intensifying the protests if the demands are not fulfilled.
A memorandum was submitted to Bharat Beedi Kudroli Branch Office Manager Vasudeva Nayak.