AITUC to fight for beedie workers’ rights on July 26

AITUC to fight for beedie workers’ rights on July 26

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 24, 2012 : Beedie workers, under the leadership of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), will gherao the deputy commissioner’s office on July 26, Thursday to bring the attention of the authorities to their four demands.

 

H. V. Anantha Subba Rao, general secretary of the Karnataka State Committee of AITUC, said that the government should immediately resolve beedie workers’ issues. Stating that there are 5 lakh beedie workers in the twin districts, he said that they are facing a number of problems because of the government’s apathy.

Listing out the problems of beedie workers, he said that the government has not released scholarships to beedie workers’ children for the past three years, adding that the government’s move to shift the responsibility of scholarship distribution to the education department has deprived a number of children of their scholarships.

Stating that the number of beneficiaries for scholarships for the academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 has reduced, and today nearly 75 percent beedie workers’ children are not getting any scholarships. He said that the number of beneficiaries for scholarships must be increased for academic years 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-12.

Further, he said that the government’s move to deny scholarships for kids below the age of 14 on grounds that they now have equal opportunities for education under the Right to Education (RTE) Act cannot be accepted as parents still have to spend a lot of money on their children’s education even if it is free.

South Kanara Beedie Workers’ Federation President P. Sanjeeva and T. Shekar, its secretary, were also present.