Pics by Sphoorty Ullal
The Hindu

Mangalore, Mar 2: Nearly 2,000 tailors from across the district took out a protest march from Balmatta to the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday demanding welfare benefits in the forthcoming budget as per the provisions of the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act that came into force in May 2009. The protest, which was held under the banner of the Karnataka State Tailors Association (KSTA), was supported by local tailors, said the organisers. The agitators submitted a list of demands in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner here.

Their demands include setting up of a welfare fund for tailors, soft loans for the construction of houses, financial aid to children of tailors for education, healthcare benefits under the Rajiv Gadhi Swasthya Bima Yojana and old-age pension.

Praveen Salian, State president of the KSTA, told presspersons that similar protests had been organised in all districts of the State. He said that following a Central Act, the State Government had constituted a 29-member committee. This committee had recommended the institution of a welfare fund for unorganised sector workers. The agitation would be intensified if the demands were not met in the forthcoming State budget.