We are members of the Neralu Beedi Workers’ Union in Davanagere, Karnataka. Since 2014, our union has organised more than 1,400 women employed as informal workers in the beedi industry. Over the course of our journey, we have secured significant victories for our fellow workers—including long-overdue wage increases and an end to the manipulation and control over tobacco passbooks by contractors.
With time, what began as a struggle against exploitation by beedi companies evolved into a collective institution for support and advocacy.
The families in our locality are predominantly from Muslim and Dalit communities. Along with taking up matters related to the beedi industry, our union has mobilised around issues of social, economic, and political justice. These include ensuring access to dignified maternal healthcare in local government hospitals, social security entitlements, and school enrolment for our children. Given that people from our community are often denied access to formal banking facilities, we have also set up our own women-run cooperative bank so our members can take loans for their family’s needs.
There are approximately 10,000 women engaged in beedi rolling in Davanagere. Over the next few years, our aim is to organise more workers and push for an end to oppressive practices.
Watch this video to follow a day in our lives and our struggle for the rights of unorganised workers in the beedi industry.
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Know more
- Watch this interview with Jabeena Khanum on organising women to form the Neralu Beedi Workers’ Union.
- Read this interview with Rajim Ketwas, co-founder of the Dalit Adivasi Manch, as she reflects on her activism and role in the labour movement.
