[Intl-tobacco] India: Plea to stop MNCs from entering tobacco market (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

Plea to stop MNCs from entering tobacco market
Source: The Times of India, Friday, 1/14/00

HUBLI: The Karnataka State Beedi Workers Federation has urged the Union
government to restrict the multi-national companies (MNCs) from
manufacturing cigarettes in India to safeguard the interests of the
domestic beedi and cigarette industry.

In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Federation president A.J.
Mudhol said the USA had already imposed a ban on an Indian beedi company
citing the reason that the company was employing child labourers.

He said, large number of MNCs were entering the cigarette manufacturing
industry in India which would badly affect around 75 lakh beedi workers in
the country as the manufacture of mini-cigarettes was much cheaper than
manufacturing beedi.

He alleged the Union government was offering a red carpet welcome to the
MNCs at the cost of the domestic industries. The state government,
political parties and labour organisations should bring pressure on the
Union government to take immediate measures to restrict the MNCs from
manufacturing cigarettes.  --UNI