Udupi: The Beedi workers are demanding payment of dearness allowance (DA) pending since the last two years from their company owners, said Vittal Shetty, CITU leader at a protest organised by the union in front of Bharath Beedi Works company here on Monday, March 20.
He was speaking after a long procession held by the beedi workers from Clock Tower to Bharath Beedi Works though streets of central Udupi. He said that from 1 April 2015 according to the price rice, as per the government proposal, companies should pay dearness allowance of Rs 12.75 per thousand Beedis. The Beedi companies are not following the order of the then labour minister Parameshwar Naik. Hence, the Beedi company managements filed a litigation in the High Court of Karnataka to drop the order. Then in the month of November, High Court passed the order in favour of Beedi workers and had given notice to the companies to pay the dearness allowance from 1st April 2015. But Beedi companies did not pay.
After the court order, the Beedi Federation had given notice to Beedi companies to pay dearness allowance in January. Still dearness allowance is not paid to the workers. If it continues, the Beedi Federation will hold massive protest, said Vittal Shetty.
Vittal Poojary, Vishwanath Shetty, Mahabala Vaderahobali, Umesh Kundar, K Lakshman and others were present during the protest.