Front Image courtesy Awakening Hudugru
It was the protests by Bengaluru’s Garment Workers that compelled the Modi Government to push back its controversial and decision or bid to tighten Provident Fund loan and withdrawals
A big salute to them, says this Facebook posting by Vinay Sreenivasa
All workers and employees, especially white collar workers workers in the Information Technology and BT industry have to thank the brave garment workers of Bengaluru who withstood police violence and widespread slander to fight for their rights. If the recently introduced Rules regarding Provident Fund (PF) do get withdrawn it will be hugely to the credit of these brave-hearts.
The Economic Times and several other newspapers have reported this backtracking by the Modi led NDA II government. The ET said, that it was in February, the ministry had issued a notification restricting 100 per cent withdrawal of provident fund by members after unemployment of more than two months, among others.
Following the concerns raised by trade unions and other stakeholders, the ministry decided to keep the notification in abeyance till April 30. Its implementation has been again deferred till July 31, as per a Labour Ministry statement. Facing protest, the government today kept in abeyance for three more months the proposed move to bar withdrawal of employer's contribution to the provident fund corpus until the employee attains the age of 58 years. "The notification (tightening PF withdrawal norms) will be kept in abeyance for three months till July 31, 2016. We will discuss this issue with the stakeholders," Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters.
But it was this first protest, braving lathis and police repression, that brought out garment workers to the streets of Bengaluru that influenced the government’s decision.
See also
New PF withdrawal norms put on hold till July 31 after protests