Trade unions to assess DeMo impact, ordinance on e-wages

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

Leaders of 10 central trade unions, sans RSS affiliate the BMS, will meet in the first week of January to take stock of developments affecting workers post-demonetisation on account of currency crunch.

The focus of the meeting would be government’s proposed ordinance to amend the payment of wages Act. The change will allow employers to pay wages and salaries to their workers through cheque or crediting it to their bank account without their authorisation.

AITUC functionary DL Sachdev today said: “The agriculture labourers and peasants are reeling under the present crisis”. The Labour Ministry’s proposal for ordinance to wring in changes in the rules to empower employers has further jarred with the unions.

“Although the ordinance is in the benefit of employees, its timing is questionable as the move comes at a time when there is shortage of currency following ban of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes,” a leader said.

The unions are of the view that the problem will stay for long time, notwithstanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi deadline of 50 days for normalcy. The employees will be compelled to spend time outside banks to withdraw money at the cost of one-day cut in their wages.

The union leaders will also strategise ways to bring to centrestage their demand to raise gratuity amount ceiling from the present Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. They had flagged the issue during their pre-Budget consultations with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on November 19, last year.