From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 13: Forty-eight garment sector employees, who were arrested during two-day protests in Bengaluru against new Provident Fund rules last month, are likely to be released soon.

A decision on the release of the garment sector employees and withdrawal of cases against them would be taken at the State Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held next week, according to Karnataka’s Labour Minister P T Parameshwara Naik.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday, the minister said the State police had arrested the garment sector workers during protests that triggered violence incidents at different places in the City. 

The police have been investigating the role of employees in the protest. 

he employees, who were innocent and had no role in the violence would be released and cases against them would be withdrawn, he said.

The garment sector employees were languishing in the jail since the protest on April 18 and 19.

Asked about minimum wages, Naik said minimum wages has been increased to Rs 10,000 per month for contract workers by the Centre. 

The State Government would implement the Centre’s decision on enhancing minimum wages.

The Centre had hiked the wages based on the Supreme Court direction.

All Government industrial training institutes would be teaching spoken English for ITI students from coming academic year (2016-17). 

This would enable students to communicate ideas in English during job interviews. One hour a day would be devoted for spoken English classes in all institutes, he said.

A total of over 3 lakh construction workers were registered under the Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board during 2007-14.