SAMBALPUR: Kendu leaf workers have decided to launch fresh protests on May 1 and 2, opposing the delay in announcement of the procurement price, bonus, and wages for the ongoing season.
Members of Odisha Kendupatra Karmachari Sangh (OKKS) on Wednesday said while collection of kendu leaves began on April 10 across 19 divisions, the government is yet to fix the price per bundle (kerry), declare bonuses for pluckers, or announce minimum wages for seasonal and binding workers, triggering widespread dissatisfaction.
Criticising the delay, OKKS president Bijay Kumar Mohanty said, “For the first time in recent history, the government has failed to announce the kendu leaf price and bonus even after the start of the collection season. This has pushed lakhs of workers into uncertainty.”
Despite the government notifying revised minimum wages in July 2024, there has been no corresponding fixation of monthly wages for nearly two years. Binding workers are still waiting for a revision in bundle rates, he said.
“There have been phased protests across the state over the demands. In February, mass demonstrations were held in nearly 100 forest ranges to draw attention to our demands. However, the demands are yet to be met,” said organising secretary of OKKS Sanjit Mohanty.
He informed that lakhs of kendu leaf pluckers, seasonal employees, and labourers will wear black badges on May 1 to protest against the ‘government apathy’. This will be followed by mass demonstrations across nearly 2,000 gram panchayats on May 2.