Garment workers from various factories in Bengaluru’s Peenya Industrial Belt protested on September 30 against the new Provident Fund (PF) rules introduced by the Union Government, which restrict workers’ access to their own PF savings. The protest was organised under the aegis of the Garment and Textile Workers Union (GATWU-AICCTU).
The workers recalled the historic protests of garment workers in April 2016, which had forced the Union Government to withdraw similar restrictions on PF withdrawals. They pointed out that the same anti-worker restrictions have now been brought back stealthily and questioned provisions that restrict workers from accessing their hard-earned savings while allowing the government to write off payment of contributions.
On September 28, GATWU had submitted a memorandum to the Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner demanding the immediate withdrawal of the 12-month and 36-month waiting periods introduced under the new PF scheme of June 29, 2026. Under the new provisions, workers who leave employment have to wait 12 months to access the remaining 25% of their PF savings, while workers with less than 10 years of service have to wait 36 months to withdraw their EPS accumulation.
The restrictions are particularly harmful to low-wage workers and, in Karnataka, to garment workers, 85 to 90% of whom are women. Their extremely low wages, the fact that many are the primary breadwinners of their families, job insecurity and the double burden of paid and unpaid work make PF savings a crucial financial safety net. For many garment women workers, these savings are relied upon during medical emergencies, children’s education, rent, marriage and other urgent family needs.
The workers pointed out that blanket restrictions on access to PF and EPS savings amount to an unjust attack on workers’ right to access their own hard-earned money. Garment women workers have already launched a signature campaign against the changes, with around 5,000 signatures submitted along with the memorandum.
The protest also highlighted the continuing restrictions imposed by the Bengaluru Police on workers’ right to protest. More than 50 workers were detained during the protest. The workers demanded the immediate release of all those detained and insisted that they must not be prosecuted, pointing out that many of those detained are poor migrant workers.
The workers also demanded that the Karnataka Government immediately intervene and press the Union Government to withdraw the new restrictions on workers’ access to their PF and EPS savings.
