Beedi workers to hold protest Apr 12, today

Beedi workers to hold protest Apr 12, today

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 12, 2016 :It is informed that Beedi workers will stage a protest in front of the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner, Kadri, on  Apr 12, Tuesday to urge the government to direct beedi companies to resume production.

The companies reportedly stopped production on April 6 pressing the Union government to amend the notification on pictorial warning for the beedi industry. According to the notification, printing of pictorial warning on beedi packets covering 85 per cent of each side of the packet was mandatory from April 1.

Addressing media, Balakrishna Shetty, secretary, South Kanara Beedi Workers Federation, affiliated to Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said that the government should provide compensation to beedi workers till the companies resumed production.

He claimed that there were 18 beedi companies in the State. The State might have about six lakh beedi workers of whom about two lakh workers were in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The neighbouring Kasaragod district in Kerala had about three lakh beedi workers.   Shetty said that the companies argued that it was practically impossible to print a warning in such a large area as they would get little space to print their brands. The curved shape of beedi packets was also a hindrance to print it.

According to Shetty, the beedi industry was about a century old. About two crore beedis were being rolled in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the State and Kasaragod in Kerala daily. Many have been hit by the new regulations.

He said that the federation too believed that the companies were right in their argument as it was practically impossible to print a warning covering 85 per cent surface of a packet. He said that if the government did not settle the issue, the workers would intensify their agitation.