Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday S. Chandappa Anchan, secretary, S.K. Beedi Workers’ Federation, said that of an estimated seven lakh beedi workers in the State, four lakh workers were in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
He said that Mr. Madhava was the executive president of the All India Beedi Workers’ Federation. If elected, he could raise issues on behalf of beedi workers in Parliament.
Mr. Anchan said that many issues concerning beedi workers remained unresolved. Only 2.39 lakh of the seven lakh beedi workers were getting provident fund benefits.
The government had not yet set up a sub-office of welfare fund commissionerate in Mangalore.
He said that the National Democratic Alliance government brought in the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003. The UPA government subsequently revised its rules resulting in a ban on smoking in public places.
Beedi workers have been urging the government to exempt beedis from the purview of the Act.
The Act has affected many beedi workers. The plight of beedi workers and providing them alternative employment has not been discussed much in Parliament, he said.
He said that there was a need to bring in legislation to pay uniform wages for beedi workers in the country.
The government should also assist beedi workers to build houses and provide scholarships to their children, he said.
Mr. Anchan said that the workers would also support CPI(M) candidate Radha Sundaresh in Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency.
President, South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation, J. Balakrishna Shetty and secretary Sukumar Thokkottu were present.
(Source : The Hindu)
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