The Forum for Development of North Andhra on Thursday urged the State government to immediately revise the wages at Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC), which has 18,000-odd women workers from various villages in the district.
“The government which often talks about women empowerment should ensure that the demands of the workers, among other things fixing minimum monthly wages at Rs.10,000, should be conceded immediately without dilly-dallying,” forum chairman and former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University K.V. Ramana and convener A. Aja Sarma said in a release.
They said the women workers were being paid a paltry salary of Rs. 5,000, which was not enough to make their ends meet, and justified their demand to increase it to Rs. 10,000. The forum leaders also alleged that the district administration was siding with the management of Brandix and making attempts to intimidate the agitating employees notwithstanding the fact that the management was enjoying the benefits of the Special Economic Zone.
