Beedi Karmikara Hitharakshana Vedike staged a protest on Friday outside Assistant Labour Commissioner’s Office in Mangalore demanding for the payment of arrears of Rs 4,500 by beedi companies to workers. The Vedike warned the beedi companies that they would hold protest outside the offices of the companies which fail to take actions to pay this arrears amount to the workers immediately.
Addressing the gathering Vedike convener K Vishwanath Shetty said that the dearness allowance (DA) has been pending from year 1997-98 onwards, which has now summed upto Rs 4,500.
On demanding the same, the beedi factory owners assured to pay the amount by June 2007 in an agreement signed between the assistant labour officer and the beedi company owners in the presence of a negotiator in January 2007.
Mr Shetty said that though the companies failed to pay the said amount, they have been resorting into malpractices.
He said that some of the beedi company owners have been deceiving the beedi workers by taking their signatures on empty receipts and paying them only Rs 1,000 as the arrears amount.
Mr Shetty condemned this move of the factory owners and lamented that some of the contractors have been a party in this conspiracy.
Mr Shetty hence demanded that legal action must be taken against the companies who have violated the agreement.
The members of the vedike submitted a memorandum to Assistant Labour Commissioner demanding him to take immediate action to ensure that the amount of Rs 4,500, which legally belongs to the beedi workers are given to them. They demanded that the said amount must be paid to the workers by the special officer representing the Beedi company owners and not by the contractors.
Karavali Mahila Jagruthi Vedike President Hemavathi P said that the companies are taking signature on these blank receipts from the women who are illiterate.
This must be stopped immediately.
Hundreds of people gathered to take active part in the protest.