Comrades,
The flash strike against the recent PF Rules, 2016 of the Central Government (i.e., Centre’s new rule on Provident Fund withdrawal) by large section of Garment Factory Workers and other Industrial Workers of Karnataka State on 18th and 19th April 2016 received immense response and there was a massive protest which resulted in road blocks for hours together, thereby the entire traffic of Bengaluru City was paralyzed. The traffic was also severely affected on Mysore, Tumkur and Hosur roads.
The COC Karnataka extended moral support and sympathy for this Labour Movement. The February 10thnotification was under attack from trade unions from the beginning. The notification was published in the gazette on February 26 and created technical problems.
The violence in Bengaluru prompted the Labour Ministry, Govt. of India to cancel the February 10 notification which put restrictions on 100% withdrawal from the PF account.
Within few hours of protest in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka state , the Hon’ble Minsiter for Labour, Shri.Bandaru Dattatreya acted upon and withdrawn the notification issued on February 10th and informed that the old system will continue. This is a victory for the workers of the country.
This clearly shows that the Government of India does not want to antagonize the workers. If the Central Government employees also participate in trade union action against the retrograde recommendations of the VII CPC similar to the Garment Workers of Karnataka, we too can get similar results and hope for a better wage revision and a decent wage hike.
This Labour movement of the Garment Workers of Karnataka state is an eye-opener for all other working class in the entire country, Comrades if one state and one particular working class movement can bring changes to the policy of the Central Government, if the entire the entire country the Central Government employees agitate against the retrograde recommendations of the 7th CPC (where only 14 % wage hike was provided against the staff side demand of 80% wage hike and also reducing the number of allowances and reduction in HRA rates) then the Central Government shall provide the decent wage hike by settling the issue of wage hike with the staff side NJCA like the PF issue being settled.
Comrades it is high time to prepare for 11th July strike of Central Government employees under the banner of NJCA. We shall get good results and Central Government shall grant better wage hike than the 7th CPC recommendations. Better we prepare for 11th July strike better wage hike we get.
Comradely yours (P.S.Prasad)
General Secretary,
Confederation of Central Government
Employees and Workers Karnataka State
