Beedi workers unions have urged the State and Central governments to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for beedi workers while implementing the Act related to cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Addressing presspersons in Mangaluru on Monday, Balakrishna Shetty, president of South Kanara Beedi Workers’ Federation, said the Centre has begun implementing COTPA [Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Act 2015] with effect from April 1.

Loss of jobs Under the Act, graphic health warnings on a pack of beedis should be increased from the 45 per cent to 85 per cent of the area of the packet. The owners of beedi companies in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have shutdown their operations following the implementation of the Act. This has left beedi workers in these areas jobless, Shetty said.

Around two lakh women in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts roll around two crore beedis a day. The sudden shutdown of operations by the owners of the beedi companies has affected their livelihood, he said.

Plea for compensation About 20 companies from the State produce beedis under different brand names. He urged the beedi companies to provide compensation to the beedi workers affected by the shutdown. Steps should be taken to provide alternative employment opportunities to the beedi workers affected by the shutdown of beedi units, he said.

Beedi workers will intensify their agitation by organising protest marches at taluk levels and by picketing the elected representatives from the region, if the government fails to provide alternative employment opportunities to the beedi workers, Shetty said.

Representatives from other unions such as Beedi Mazdoor Sangh, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Beedi Contractors’ Associations were present on the occasion.

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