Bengaluru: The High Court (HC) has declared the earlier government order No 128 LWA 2014, dated 8.4.2015 exempting beedi works owners from paying bonus for the year 2015-16 to beedi workers as null and void .It has asked the concerned owners to pay the bonus taking the inflation factor into account immediately.
The government in its order dated April 8, 2015 had exempted the owners from paying beedi labourers its dues. The Beedi Workers’ Federation and CITU Union had condemned the government move and fought relentlessly urging the government to withdraw the order at various places like Mangaluru, Mandya, Harihara, Udupi, Tumakuru, Haveri and Bengaluru. They had also filed a petition in the high court seeking justice for the entire community employed in beedi industry.

After prolonged assessment of the order, HC judge A N Venugopal Gowda declared the last year’s government order (GO) as null and void and gave relief to the aggrieved labour community. The judge asked the beedi industry owners to pay all the dues for the year 2015-16 taking into account the inflation factor. Now the Beedi Labourers’ Association has urged the government to implement the order immediately and instruct the owners to make payments to the labourers without any further delay.

The Belthangadi Beedi Workers’ Association President Jayarama Maiyya and CPI (M) taluk leader and advocate B M Bhat who too were involved in the agitation demanded early implementation of the order to soothe the feelings of aggrieved labourers.