Mangaluru: Beedi workers launch indefinite protest demanding pending minimum wages

Mangaluru: Beedi workers launch indefinite protest demanding pending minimum wages

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Nov 24, 2025: Beedi workers have launched an indefinite dharna–satyagraha under the banner of the South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation (CITU), demanding the payment of minimum wages pending for the past six years, along with the revised minimum wages that came into effect in April 2024.

Addressing the protest in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha, Federation general secretary Balakrishna Shetty said a meeting between the Labour Minister and labour representatives is scheduled for November 27. “If no worker-friendly decision is taken in the meeting, we will lay siege to the office of the Labour Commissioner on November 28,” he warned.

He said the State government had issued a minimum wage notification for beedi workers in April 2018, fixing the rate at ₹210 per 1,000 beedis, along with an additional cost-of-living allowance of 4 paise per point. Although beedi owners had agreed to this unanimously, they obtained a stay order from the High Court and denied legally mandated wages to workers, he alleged.

In February 2025, the Karnataka government issued a fresh notification revising minimum wages. A committee was formed under Section 5(1A) of the Minimum Wages Act, and based on its recommendations, the minimum wage was fixed at ₹270 per 1,000 beedis from April 1, 2024, with a cost-of-living allowance of 3 paise per point. Accordingly, workers should be paid ₹301.92 per 1,000 beedis, but owners are paying only ₹284.88, he said.

There are 65 lakh beedi rollers across 13 states, and more than 3 crore people, including labelers, drivers and leaf processors, are engaged in the beedi industry. Most of them are extremely poor, and 95% are women. “Governments have failed to consider the plight of these poor workers. While the beedi industry generates thousands of crores in tax revenue, decisions consistently favour owners instead of workers,” he alleged.

CITU district president B.M. Bhat said successive governments have sided with beedi owners rather than workers.

District general secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal, construction workers’ union leaders K. Yadava Shetty and Vasantha Achari, Federation treasurer Sadashiva Das, M. Devadas and others were present. Federation president Sukumar Tokkottu welcomed the gathering.