Mangalore : The SK Beedi Workers Federation staged a protest, after taking out a rally from Town Hall to DC Office on Tuesday June 5, demanding immediate implementation of minimum wages fixed by the labour department for beedi workers.

Addressing the protestors, P Sanjeeva, president of South Kanara Beedi Workers Federation (AITUC) said the beedi company owners, union leaders and labour department officials held a meeting in Bangalore On March 8 and fixed minimum wage at Rs 116.20 per day from April 1, 2012.

This includes basic minimum wage of Rs 106 for minimum of 1,000 beedies rolled and dearness allowance of Rs 10.20 or three paise per day for every point of rise in prices, he said.

He also said that Beedi companies have not yet implemented it on grounds that it is not notified in the State Gazette.

The delay on part of the state government as well as beedi company owners taking shelter under the lapse were condemnable, he said.

V Seetharam Berinja, secretary of the federation There are nearly four lakh beedi workers in DK district and eight lakhs workers in the state. The delay would hurt the finances of the workers who are women from economically backward classes.

He also said that two years back sub-committee of the Karnataka labour department agreed to increase the minimum wages of beedi workers from Rs 93.24 for every 1,000 beedis rolled to Rs 116.20. But practically nothing happened. The union wants the government to execute the above demands.

The Federation handed over the memorandum to DC Channappa Gowda.

Federation members like B Vishwanath Naik, K V Bhat, B Shekar, Ramanna Rai, Suresh Kumar, Sulochana and others were present.