Changes in PF withdrawal rules lead to protests by garment workers
Garment workers in Karnataka are protesting against new Provident Fund withdrawal rules that restrict access to their savings. The policy mandates a 12-month unemployment period to withdraw the final 25% of funds, sparking widespread demonstrations and police intervention.
Why it matters
The protests highlight growing labor unrest regarding financial security and the impact of restrictive government policy on low-wage workers in the textile sector.
Garment workers of Karnataka have become restive over changes brought to Provident Fund (PF) withdrawal, which came into effect from July 1, 2026. The change allows partial withdrawal of upto 75%, while the remaining amount will remain in the PF account, a move that has been opposed by the workers. Protests in several places have erupted already.
On Wednesday, protesting garment workers from three garment companies in Peenya, including president of Garment and Textile Workers Union R. Prathibha, were taken into preventive custody after police resorted to mild lathicharge to stop them from obstructing traffic. A senior police official said that the Peenya police have registered multiple FIRs against over 60 workers under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for “obstruction of duty of the police personnel, rioting, unlawful assembly, wrongful restraint, and damaging public property.”
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