Bidi factories shut business

SOLAPUR, Oct 1: More than a hundred bidi factories all over the State have given a bandh call from October 2 and have decided to close th...

SOLAPUR, Oct 1: More than a hundred bidi factories all over the State have given a bandh call from October 2 and have decided to close their shops to protest against the hike in the minimum wages of the bidi workers. They are against “the one-sided decision of the State Government to hike wages without taking them into confidence”.

The State Government decision to increase the minimum wages from Rs. 27 – 69 per thousand bidis to Rs. 39.40 has annoyed them to the point of a revolt. The cases lodged against the factory owners for not implementing the directives of the Government has further added salt to their injuries.

Talking to The Indian Express here on Thursday, the Solapur Bidi Industry Association president Govind Tiwadi said that after a meeting of all the bidi factory owners in the State they had to unwilling force the indefinite shutter down. He said that more than 3 lakh bidi worker would suffer by the bandh call giving full stop to the production of 30 crore bidis daily.

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He said that Rs 1 crores turnover of the bidi industry will get affected due to the bandh and added that the State Government will be responsible for the outcome of the bandh and about 31 lakh bidi rollers, packers and related persons have to bore the brunt of state government’s false policy.

Meanwhile, when the bidi factory owners are all set for the bandh the bidi workers are divided over the issue whether they should demand the wage hike or not. The centre of trade union state vice-president and the CPM MLA Narsayya Adam is of the view that the minimum wages decision taken by the government is favourable for the both workers and bidi manufacturers.

A newly-ormed union by the Vishnu Karampuri under the Shiv Sena banner is favouring the bidi owners and has demanded the old wages pattern and is against want any wage hike. Even he has alleged that the CITU is taking the bidi workers for a ride in Solapur.

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