Women bidi industry workers lament neglect

Workers of hand-rolled traditional cigarette or bidi industry, most of whom are women are lamenting poor working conditions and low wages.

Thousands of women work for long hours in the predominantly unorganised sector, to roll bidis - tobacco rolled into tendu leaves - but are paid less than Rupees 50 rupees per day.Many bidi manufacturers outsource bidi rolling to women, who take the raw material from these manufacturers and roll it at their at home during free time. They roll around 1000 bidi sticks in a 10-hour shift.The workers complain that they neither get the minimum wages stipulated under law, nor any compensation for health hazards."My eyesight has suffered and my limbs ache as a consequence of working in the tobacco industry for so long. We have to deal with persistent cough and fever due to constant exposure to tobacco, but continue to work due to poverty," said Batibai, a bidi worker.The government runs several schemes for the tobacco industry workers but most say the schemes either remain on paper, or a privileged few draw all benefits."We have become old working in this industry. Fifty years ago I rolled the first bidi but my hands shiver now. I am dependent on my children for food and clothing. Our children have no work; we have no security, pensions or houses to live in," said Sarmania Bai, a septuagenarian. According to a study by the Union Health Ministry, the health hazard in the industry is relatively high - 34 per 100 population, especially get affected by tuberculosis and cancer.State functionaries responsible for labour welfare say the welfare of bidi workers is the responsibility of the Central government, and they are mere facilitators.

"All the welfare schemes pertaining to the 'bidi rolling' workers are under the purview of the Labour Ministry. We are mere co-coordinators. Even the scholarship forms are submitted in the relevant office. If they (the bidi industry workers) have any grudges or applications for identity cards, they can submit them to the Labour Ministry through us. But personally, my office has no direct role in the matter," said S S Dixit, Assistant Labour Commissioner.Bidi accounts for about 53.5 per cent of the country's domestic consumption of tobacco as compared to cigarettes, which account for18.8 percent.The bidi market is pegged between 120 billion rupees to 150 billion rupees.The industry is fragmented across the country, with around 200 manufacturers in every state. But Madhya Pradesh is the major producer of bidis, for easy availability of raw material in the state.