Workers engaged in rolling bidi leaves. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Oct. 13: Labourers of the bidi rolling units in the district are grossly underpaid.

“The units are operating unlawfully without the valid permit. Labourers are denied of minimum wages as fixed by state labour directorate,” said trade union leader Umesh Chandra Singh.

“Colluding with officials, the tendu leaf traders are going on with bidi manufacturing without license,” Singh said.

At least six unauthorised bidi-manufacturing units are operational in this district. The timeframe granted to these units has expired. The manufacturers are yet to make renewal of their licenses, according labour wing of the district administration.

“We have served showcause notices to unit owners. Unless they make compliance of showcause and renew their licenses, the units would be shut down,” said district labour officer Pramod Kumar Mohanty.

These units has been asked to renew their license granted to them under the provision of Section-4 of the Bidi and Cigar Workers (condition of employment) Act 1966 and the Orissa Bidi and Cigar rules.

“Around 3,000 people, mostly women and children from the minority community, are engaged in the work of bidi rolling. The trade is controlled by affluent men from minority community and Bengali migrants. Slack vigil and supervision by a pliable district labour department helped the illegal trade to flourish here. The fact that the district labour department has enlisted hardly 397 persons working in bidi rolling lays bare the act of omission and commission,” said Singh.

Most of the bidi workers are unaware of the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act 1948, the Beedi and Cigar Workers (conditions of employment) Act 1966, and the Equal Remuneration Act 1976.

The government has made it mandatory for the manufacturers to pay Rs 62 for rolling of 1,000 bidis. Moreover, there are separate wages to those who work in bidi units for eight hours.

An unskilled worker is entitled to get Rs 90 while it stands at Rs 103 for the semi-skilled labourer.

The skilled and highly skilled bidi rollers are supposed to get Rs 116 and Rs 129, respectively.

“The department is carrying out regular inspection to see that due wages are paid to bidi rollers. However, we are yet to come across cases of under payment,” the official said.

“On the contrary, the workers are forced to sign on register to prove in black and white that they are being paid the minimum wages fixed by the government,” said Singh.