Bidi workers demand withdrawal of tax, increase of wages
Bidi Workers have demanded an increase in their wages and withdrawal of tax on bidi industry.
They made the demands at a rally organised by Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation on the occasion of May Day in front of the National Press Club yesterday (1 May).
During Bangabandhu's era, there was no tax on bidi industry, so the bidi workers demanded withdrawal of bidi duty, withdrawal of advance income tax, stoppage of foreign companies' low level cigarettes and an increase in wages of workers engaged in bidi industry.
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Presidents of Bangladesh Bidi Sramik Federation Amin Uddin BSc, Vice President Nazim Uddin, Lutfor Rahman, Joint Secretary Abdul Gofur, Abul Hasnat Lavlu, Anower Hossain, Organising Secretary Shamim Islam, among others, spoke at the function while General Secretary Harik Hossain moderated it.
Though the history of struggling labourers is long to protect the rights of workers, the laborers are fighting till to establish their wages and others rights, said Bidi Sramik Federation leaders.
The labor are becoming deprived in any crisis that is very sad, to honor the May Day, they demand to give priority for Bidi labor protection Act.
Bidi Sramik Federation leaders further said that millions of workers in the country make a living by working in the age old labor-intensive bidi industry. But the country's ancient labour-intensive industry is being destroyed by the conspiracy of foreign multinational companies.
The cigarette companies are burning the lungs of people of this country and taking huge amount of money abroad, in addition, some unscrupulous bureaucrats are conspiring to impose exorbitant taxes on bidis to give foreign cigarette companies a monopoly, Bidi workers leaders said.
