Thousands of garment factory workers blocked entry points to Bengaluru as their protest against amendments to EPF Act entered its second day and turned violent yesterday, throwing life out of gear in several parts of the city.
Over 10,000 workers in Hebbugodi vandalized the police station there and set fire to vehicles, including police and public transport. Police had to fire 15 shots in the air to bring the situation under control.
Thousands of workers blocked the Electronic City flyover and Hosur main road, where the police laticharged them to make way for vehicles.
Nearly 5,000 garment factory workers in Jalahalli Cross locked the gates of the Peenya metro station, leaving about 140 passengers stranded. Traffic was blocked for more than 15 km till Nelamangala, where another group of workers protested at NH4, blocking traffic upto Dabbaspete. Protesters in Nelamangala damaged the Hoysala jeep and set it ablaze.
“We get low salaries, so withdrawing PF whenever needed came in handy. With this amendment, we’ll have to wait till we turn 58 to withdraw the entire PF amount. The government should make citizen-friendly policies,” a garment factory worker said.
