Udupi (The Hindu): The district units of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Beedi Workers Federation staged a dharna demanding the pending dearness allowance for beedi workers here on Monday.

Addressing the protesters, P. Vishwanath Rai, resident of district unit of CITU, said that the government had fixed ? 12.75 as dearness allowance for every 1,000 beedis. But the owners of many beedi firms were yet to pay the amount. Labour Minister Santosh Lad too appeared to have soft corner for the owners of beedi firms on this issue.

The beedi workers unions had approached the court on the issue of dearness allowance last year, which had ruled in favour of the workers.

The unions had given a notice on the issue of dearness allowance along with the court order to the beedi firms in January, this year.

But so far, there was no sign of the beedi firms providing the dearness allowance. Hence, the beedi workers were left with no other alternative than to stage a protest. The firms should provide dearness allowance for the last two years within March 31, Mr. Rai said.

The beedi workers, who gathered at the Service Bus Stand, took out a procession and later laid a siege to the Bharath Beedis building, here.

K. Shankar, secretary of district unit of CITU, Nalini, member of the district committee of Beedi Workers Federation, Balkis Banu, H. Vittal, S. Kaviraj, Mahabala, Umesh Kundar, K. Lakshman, federation leaders, were present.