Odisha brick kiln workers on strike in AP demanding minimum wage

Dear All

I enclose the news,Odisha brickkiln workers are on strike demandingminimum wage, published in The Pioneer,Bhubneshwar edition,for your perusal.

Yours

SudhirMishra/pioneer/Balangir

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Odisha brick kiln workers on strike in AP demanding minimum wage

SUNDAY, 25 MARCH 2012 23:50

SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR

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It is common to find a large number of people from western parts of Odisha migrating every year to brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh in search of livelihood, where they suffer torture, exploitation and other abuses. Even at times, instances of losing their lives are galore.

However, in a first-ever incident, about 5,000 migrant labourers from western Odisha have been on a strike in 100 brick kilns in Dundigal villages of Kutubllpur Mandal of Andhra Pradesh demanding minimum wage since March 19.

The workers are usually recruited for a paltry wage of Rs 180-200 for making 1,000 bricks, where as the statutory minimum wage in AP for brick making is between Rs 340 and Rs 367 per 1,000 bricks depending upon quality, said A Krishna and Sudhir Katiyar of Solidarity Committee for Brick Kiln Labourers in AP.

According to reports, the workers demanded minimum wage in a memorandum submitted to the Labour Commissioner on March 5. As nothing concrete was done, they went on strike from March 19 till date.

During the stir, the supporters of the brick kiln owners gheraoed the kilns and stopped the union members from coming out. However, they were rescued after police intervention. In Maladri, Ekteshwar and Narsimha kilns, workers were beaten by the owners, who also cut off electricity and drinking water supply to the workers’ shanties.

Meanwhile, the committee of the brick kiln workers met the District Collector and District Commissioner (Labour) seeking their intervention. Sources further said the District Collector ordered the Deputy Collector to enquire into the incident, besides taking steps to ensure that minimum wages were paid to the migrant labourers.

“Every year, a large numbers of migrant labourers are going to the brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh to work there. The Government of Odisha should intervene and take necessary steps to stop migrant workers from being tortured and exploited. Moreover, the Government should also take steps so that migrant labourers get minimum wages,” opined Biren Nayak of Action Aid.

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