Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SM/NR) - pics - Ganesh S Perla

Udupi, Jul 25: A demand for the implementation of the tripartite agreement on payment of dearness allowance to beedi workers was made by the Members of the Beedi and Tobacco Labour Union associated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).The beedi workers staged a protest in this connection here on Tuesday, July 24.

The leaders of the union stated that the dearness allowance (DA) of beedi workers in the state had been withheld for the last 10 years. 

As per the tripartite agreement reached in front of the Joint Labour Commissioner on January 31, the owners of the beedi industries had to pay the balance of DA of Rs 4,500 per worker in lump sum by June 30.

This payment should have been given to all the workers directly at a place convenient to all the workers as well as the owners of labour industries and labour union. But some owners had not distributed the DA arrears. Further they alleged that the owners had also joined hands with contractors who had no role in the said tripartite agreement.