People's Democracy

OVER twenty thousand Beedi workers from all Beedi producing states of the country marched to Parliament on November 27 to press for their several long pending demands. This impressive rally started from the Ramlila Ground and culminated into a public meeting in front of the Parliament street police station. There were workers from as far as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka to the neighbouring states of Delhi.

The rally was organised jointly by the trade unions working among Beedi workers and affiliated to - AITUC, CITU, AICCTU, HMS, INTUC, IFTU, TUCC, UTUC and UTUC LS, in pursuance of a ten-point charter of demands.

Among those who addressed the workers were K.L. Mahendra, Chanchal Ghosh (AITUC); M.K. Pandhe, P.K. Ganguly (CITU); A.D. Nagpal (HMS); Achinta Sinha (UTUC-LS); Abani Roy, MP (UTUC); V. Krishna (IFTU); Chandra Rana (AIFTU), Basudev Acharya, Jibon Roy CPI(M) MPs, Ajoy Chakraborty CPI MP and Abdul Hasnat Khan and other leaders of each Beedi federation. The rally called for carrying forward the united movement state-wise in preparation for observing an All India Demands Day on April 10, 2002.

Later a joint delegation comprising of the leaders of each central trade unions and MPs met the Union Labour Minster, Sharad Yadav and submitted a memorandum consisting of the 10-point demands. The Minister assured to call a meeting of the Joint Action Committee by middle of December to discuss these demands.

Some of the major demands are :

• Uniform Minimum Wage for beedi workers throughout the country to be Rs 50/- per 1000 beedis linked with All India Consumer Price index at 1300 points(1960-100), plus 25% as per Supreme Court verdict.

• Abolish contract and sub-contract system and deceptive forms of sales, purchase relationship, and bring the workers under the principal employers

• Sufficient quantity of leaf and tobacco to be given to the Beedi rollers and a minimum of 26 days of work in a month with a minimum of 1000 beedis to be rolled per day.

• Appropriate amendment of the Beedi and Cigar Act, Welfare and Cess Act and the Minimum Wages Act as per demand No.1, and these should be put in the 9^th Schedule of the Constitution.

• Women workers to be given equal wages at par with men.

• Decision taken by the government to invite 100 per cent FDI from Cigarette MNCs with excise duty exemption, particularly in the underdeveloped states like Assam and Tripura in the name of development should be withdrawn.

• The government of India must pressurise US to lift the ban on export of Indian Beedis to America.