SOLAPUR, JULY 19: Lakhs of workers employed in the bidi industry in the state have been denied minimum wages. However the State Government has not taken any action against the bidi manufacturers in this connection and this passive role of the government has badly affected the bidi workers, according to their unions.As per government statistics, there are three lakh Bidi workers in the state, though the bidi workers' unions claim there are five lakh bidi workers.The bidi workers are led by Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Kisan Sabha and Republican Party of India.The unions claim that the Congress government, led by Sharad Pawar, had discussed a proposal to increase the minimum wages to the bidi workers. Then the proposal was shelved after the saffron alliance government was installed and this has caused heavy financial losses to the bidi workers, they argue.However, former chief minister Manohar Joshi, of the alliance government initially adopted an aggressive stance but later procrastinated over the issue. When the workers threatened to agitate, Joshi promised to appoint a committee. Though no concrete steps were taken during the last four years, when Narayan Rane took over as chief minister, in March this year, he appointed a committee led by himself. The committee has not been given any fixed time limit to complete its work.Now with the announcement of the poll schedule and prevalent code of conduct, the bidi workers have lost hope of immediate implementation of minimum wages.A few years ago, the Shiv Sena too had started a bidi workers' union.
