CH NEWS BELAGAVI Sugar workers at a state-level conference in Belagavi on Sunday adopted four resolutions, including a demand for implementation of the Seventh Tripartite Wage Board order across all sugar factories in Karnataka. The conference, organised under the leadership of the Karnataka United Sugar Workers Federation (KUSWF), also demanded that steps be taken to vacate the stay obtained by some sugar factories in the High Court against implementation of the wage board order. Workers sought revival of closed government and cooperative sugar factories in the State and demanded that long-serving contract, daily-wage and outsourced employees be made permanent. They also sought statutory benefits, including provident fund, ESI, bonus, gratuity, leave, weekly holidays and overtime allowance. Another resolution called for withdrawal of the four labour codes introduced by the Centre. The workers demanded protection of their rights to organise and strike. Inaugurating the conference, AIUTUC state unit president K Somashekar alleged that workers’ rights were being curtailed through the labour codes. He said governments were waiving loans of entrepreneurs but were not paying adequate attention to workers’ problems. KUSWF president Aravi Basavanagowda, who presided over the conference, called for an organised struggle to protect workers’ rights. Federation executive president Chakrapani alleged that exploitation of workers continued in several sugar factories across the State. Chakrapani said Ministers Santosh Lad and Rudrappa Lamani could not attend the conference due to the election code of conduct. However, he said the ministers had assured the organisation that they would discuss workers’ issues with its representatives and take steps to address them. Basavaraj Pujara, Vijaya Yadav and Labour Officer Mallikarjun Jogura were present. Thousands of sugar workers participated in the conference. Earlier, workers took out a march seeking action on their various demands.