Union Labour Minister Announces Roll-Back on New PF Notifications

Dattatreya’s announcement comes after protests by garment factory workers in Bengaluru turned violent on Tuesday.

Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@BandaruDattatreya)

The Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya announced a rollback on the notification of 10 February that restricted the complete withdrawal of provident funds by the employees. The minister was forced to cancel the notification after the protests in Bengaluru started getting violent.

We are cancelling the notification that restricts complete withdrawal of PF. The old system will continue for now. The decision will be ratified by Central board of trustees’ meeting. It was the demands of labourers and we obliged to it.

<b>B Dattatreya, Union Law Minister, India</b>

Garment Factory Workers’ Protest Turns Violent

Protestors block traffic in Bengaluru on Tuesday, 19 April 2016. (Photo: The News Minute)

Bengaluru police resorted to tear gas shells on Tuesday as garment factory workers from major factories continued their protest against Provident Fund (PF) rules by blocking roads for the second day in a row. Garment workers blocked parts of Hosur and Iblur roads on Tuesday morning.

As the garment factory workers’ protest turned violent in Bengaluru, there were reports of protesters barging into a few offices, vandalising property and forcing employees to join the protest with them.

It all started at around 12:30 when hundreds of protesters started gathering at the front gate. We could see fire and they forced themselves into the campus. A few employees who were stepping out were stopped and asked to join the protest to help factory workers.

<b>Employee, Biocon India Ltd</b>

However, after minister’s announcement of cancelling the new notification, the protests should end soon.

(With ANI inputs)

Also read: Bengaluru Protests Turn Violent, Biocon Campus Vandalised