Table Of Contents

Bidi And Cigar Sector

On 21 November 2025, four new Labour Codes came into force across India, quietly changing the lives of over 4.9 million people, mainly rural women who roll bidis and cigars from their homes.

For the first time in nearly six decades, the outdated Bidi and Cigar Workers Act of 1966 has been replaced by modern, uniform protections that treat every worker with dignity, regardless of their role and responsibilities.

8-Hour Working Day Fixed

The old law allowed employers to stretch a typical working day to nine hours.

The new Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code fixes it firmly at eight hours while keeping the weekly limit at 48 hours.

Overtime is now strictly voluntary and must be paid at double the normal rate.

In the villages of Bhadohi and Sagar, women who used to work until midnight during the peak season are already seeing extra money in their pockets for the first time.

Universal Minimum Wages 2025

No worker can now be paid less than the government-notified minimum wage – a rule that earlier applied only to “scheduled” employment.

A national floor wage has been introduced that takes into account the actual cost of food, clothing, and shelter.

Piece-rate bidi rollers, who were routinely underpaid, now have a legal safety net in place.

Early reports from Uttar Pradesh indicate that average monthly earnings rose from ₹9,300 to ₹11,000 within the first ten days of implementation.

Free Annual Health Check-ups

Tobacco dust has silently damaged lungs and skin for generations.

The new codes make free annual health check-ups compulsory for every worker, including those who roll bidis at home.

Accidents while traveling to collect raw materials or deliver finished bidis are now covered under employee compensation, a protection that did not previously exist.

Pan-India ESIC Coverage

The old system restricted the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation benefits to “notified areas”.

That barrier is gone. ESIC is now available nationwide, and even groups of fewer than ten home-based workers can opt in voluntarily.

In the first week alone, 300,000 micro-units joined the scheme, providing village women with access to cashless hospitalization and maternity benefits that many had never dreamed of.

Mandatory Appointment Letters And Wage Slips

For decades, most bidi workers had no written documentation, no proof of employment, and no clarity on their pay.

The new rules make formal appointment letters and monthly wage slips compulsory for every worker, regardless of whether they roll 500 bidis a day or 1,500.

Women in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are holding their first-ever official documents with pride and a sense of security.

Paid Leave After 180 Days + Bonus After 30 Days

Annual Leave with wages now starts after just 180 days of work instead of 240.

A bonus is payable after only 30 days of work in a year, ranging from 8.33% to 20% of earnings.

Most importantly, gender discrimination in recruitment, wages, promotion, or working conditions is now explicitly prohibited by law.

The ₹7,000–₹8,000 annual pay gap between men and women in the same trade has finally come to an end.

Early Results And Remaining Challenges

In the first twelve days, 1.2 million bidi workers have registered on the e-Shram portal, and wage slips are being printed in villages across the country.

Contractors are issuing appointment letters under pressure from the new law.

However, challenges remain: the internet reaches only half of the homes, many small contractors worry about new contributions, and enforcement in 93% of unorganized units will take time.

The direction, however, is clear and irreversible.

New Dignity For Bidi Workers

These four Labour Codes are more than legal texts; they are a promise that the woman sitting on a mud floor rolling tobacco leaves deserves the same respect, security, and health care as any factory worker in a shining corporate park.

The bidi may still be the poor man’s smoke, but the person who rolls it is finally being recognised as a citizen with rights.

For 4.9 million families, 2025 marks the year their daily struggle began to turn into daily dignity.