Several beedi workers took to the street in protest here on Friday claiming that a government order to increase the dearness allowance (DA) for beedi workers has been ignored by beedi companies for three months.
Marching from Ballalbagh to South Canara Home Industries in Lalbagh under the banner of Dakshina Kannada Beedi Workers’ Federation, the protestors said the meagre payment to workers was denting the financial security of more than four lakh people in the district.
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“A government order directed employers to pay Rs. 21.15 as dearness allowance per 1,000 beedis rolled from April 2014. However, even though many employers have not followed this, the Labour Department is not taking action against them,” said V.S. Berinja, general secretary of the federation. He claimed that numerous protests in the past month had been ignored by the administration.
“Beedi workers are not getting any benefits by these private companies who only aim to make profits,” he said.
Elaborating on the need to increase DA for beedi workers, J. Balakrishna Shetty, Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions said, “Beedie workers are being given only minimum wages now. They and their families cannot cope with the rise in the prices of essentials.”
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