Plight of beedi workers under study

MANGALORE: Acknowledging everything was not hunky-dory in the beedi industry, the Karnataka government asked Bangalore - based Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC) to conduct a comprehensive study on declining work and resultant mass labour lay-off in the beedi industry.
The study, which will cost Rs 11.50 lakh, will be funded by the government.It will study the industry under two broad categories namely, problems of the workers and industry. In general terms, the study will suggest remedies for survival of the industry.
Somanath Nayak, president, Nagarika Seva Trust (NST) told Sunday Times of India, the study would take six months, commencing in December. The Trust is one of the organisations which highlighted the plight of beedi employees in the district.
The study will consider 12 parameters that include availability of raw materials for rolling beedis, cost of procuring raw materials in the state as well as in neighbouring states, taxes levied by Central and state governments, comparison of labour cost for thousand beedis in comparison to labour costs of other states and other variables.
The list also includes actual cost incurred by employers to produce thousand beedis for the last five years. Studies will include the comparison of economic status of employers in beedi industry including their sustainability in the market in Karnataka and in the neighbouring states, comparison of economic status of unregistered beedi manufacturers and problems created by them.
Under workers sector, there are 15 parameters which include employment status, living and working conditions of employees, wage rates and other labour welfare facilities, legal and social status of home workers in beedi industries, medical and housing facilities provided for the beedi workers in the state and outside, aspects of child labour and bonded labour, issue of identity cards to workers, welfare facilities provided by both Centre and state, extent and status of enforcement of beedi and cigarette workers under the conditions of Employment Act 1966 and other relevant statistics applicable to beedi workers, impact of new laws regarding tobacco products on the future of the beedi industry and work profiling of beedi workers and their families.
There are 8 lakh workers in the industry, of which 2.8 lakh are registered workers. The beedi industry has been surviving, though raw materials like tendu leaves and tobacco are not available in the state.
Acknowledging that the beedi industry was facing certain problems affecting labour, the state has directed ISEC to study and suggest pragmatic recommendations within six months.