THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions has welcomed the reported decision of the government of India for increasing the minimum pension to Rs 1,000 per month for the pensioners under the Employees Pension Scheme and EPFO, as carried by the press. The CITU press statement issued in this connection from New Delhi, on January 24, 2014, noted that this demand of increasing the minimum pension was one of the ten-point demands on which all the central trade unions and national federations have been conducting countrywide agitations and strikes since 2009. The CITU has also welcomed the decision to increase the eligibility wage ceiling under EPF scheme from Rs 6,500 to Rs 15,000. It has demanded that the government of India should make further improvements in the pension scheme, so as to ensure an increase in pension by linking the pension to the cost of living index and also by restoring all the unilaterally withdrawn amendments like commutation of pension, return of capital etc. The CITU has urged upon all the working people and trade unions to strengthen the united struggle for attaining all other demands in the common charter of demands.