Monday, December 12 2005 11:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Stepping up pressure against the reduction in interest rate on EPF, Left trade unions yesterday (Dec 11, 2005) announced country-wide protests on December 20 and threatened to intensify it if the Government does not accede to their demands.

"On December 20, there will be demonstrations and rallies all over the country to protest against the Government's policies not to give more rate of interest to provident fund deposit of workers," General Secretary of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) backed CITU M K Pandhe told reporters.

He claimed all trade unions, including Congress-backed INTUC and the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, would join the country-wide rallies and programme.

"If the Government does not listen to us by that time, we will have to take bigger programme of action," he said.

However, despite Pandhe's claim, the INTUC appeared to disagree saying while there was consensus that the workers should get more interest on their deposits, "Where will the money come from?"

INTUC Vice-President Ashok Singh said money would have to be generated from the EPF Board's resources by earning through investment and taking professional investors' advice to earn more.