Trade Unions request government to allow demonetised notes till currency crisis abates

NEW DELHI: Calling upon workers to protest against "reckless" demonetisation, the central trade unions (CTUs) today demanded that the government should allow the use of scrapped Rs 500/1000 notes till the currency crisis abates.

"The CTUs demand upon the government to allow the demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 to continue till the crisis is abated and arrangement is made to ensure adequate availability of new currency notes and ensure appropriate compensation for those who died owing to this ordeal," stated a joint statement of 10 central trade union.

CTUs also called upon workers and their trade unions, irrespective of affiliations, to stand by the suffering people and organise agitations throughout the country.


Leaders of as many as 10 CTUs met yesterday to deliberate on the issue of demonetisation which caused has inconvenience to people and disrupted the economic activities, particularly in informal sector.

CTUs had also raised the issue in pre-budget consultations with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday.

The statement said CTUs condemn the insensitive, insulting comments and casual behaviour of the central ministers including the Prime Minister and the ruling party leaders on the sufferings of the people caused by the failed government on the plea of controlling black money, on which Supreme Court and High Courts have also made critical comments.

Prescription for using credit card and other forms of plastic currency to the suffering millions from the highest position of governance is cruel joke to their daily miseries, hunger and nightmare, it said.

The irresponsible and unprepared action of the government on the plea of curbing black money has in essence held the lives and livelihood of workers, peasants and common people none of them are from black money community, to ransom, it added.