Mangaluru : Activists of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district units of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), staged demonstrations on Monday demanding the resignation of Minister of State for Labour T.P. Parameshwar Naik.

In Mangaluru, the members assembled in front of the district office complex and shouted slogans against the Minister, terming Mr. Naik as corrupt and anti-labour. Addressing the members, CITU district president J. Balakrishna Shetty said though the government should have increased the dearness allowance for beedi workers, Mr. Naik, in collusion with beedi factory owners, did not allow it.

CITU district vice-president B.M. Bhat said the Labour Welfare Board has been denying various facilities to beedi workers. Crores of rupees accumulated with the Board is being misused, he alleged.

General Secretary Sunil Kumar Bajal said though CITU had been demanding increase of minimum wages to Rs. 15,000, the government has not acted upon it.

Members staged a dharna in front of the Clock Tower in Udupi. Addressing the protesters, Balakrishna Shetty, general secretary of the district unit of the CITU, said that in view of the Consumer Price Index shooting up by 425 points in 2014, the beedi workers should be provided dearness allowance of Rs. 12.75 per day for every 1,000 beedies tied by them.

He alleged that Mr. Naik appeared to have joined hands with the owners of the beedi companies and had issued a notification stating that the Dearness Allowance need not be paid. The CITU had already challenged the notification in the High Court.