The government may put on hold the implementation of the Employees' Provident Fund Organization’s (EPFO) circular that seeks to tighten the norms for initiation of inquiry against employers in provident fund cases and clubbing of allowances with basic wages for computing the PF contribution.
After the circular was issued by the EPFO on November 30, the trade unions have started their protest with labour ministry, terming it anti-worker. According to the EPFO circular, the inquiry against employers can only be initiated after placing the actionable and verifiable information before the compliance officers. With regard to the time period for initiating inquiry, circular defined that inquiry or investigation should not go beyond seven years.
On protest of trade unions as well as employers, Labour Ministry may soon ask the EPFO to keep the circular in abeyance. The employers are also disappointed with this EPFO's move to deal with splitting of remuneration by them which will reduce their PF contribution obligation.
However, in the favor of worker, the circular defined the meaning of basic wages for the purpose of provident fund deductions, in which all such allowances which are ordinarily, necessarily and consistently paid to the employees, be treated as the basic wages.
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