31 March, 2021: Kathmandu
ALL Nepal Federations of Trade Unions (ANTUF) has warned that it will go to struggle if the right minimum wages are not fixed as per workers’ basic needs.
ANTUF President Comrade Jagat Simkhada on 27 March, Sunday, issuing a press release, has said because the market prices are rising in an exponential rate, if the employers and stakeholders do not fix the wages by the end of Nepali month of Chaitra (within 15 days from today), ANTUF will be compelled to go to struggle programs.
“Market prices are rising in an alarming rate day by day. Even the minimum wage as provisioned in the law has not been fixed” said the press release, “In the name of COVID-19, employers are playing with workers’ lives, and in order to not fix the wages, they are conspiring and initiating unnecessary comments and discussions. We warn through this press release that if this is not fixed, we will be compelled to go to a full-fledged struggle.”
Similarly, employers from leading business houses taking advantage and opportunity of COVID-19 are misinterpreting and misusing Article 145 of the labour law resulting in a trend of reducing permanent workers and replacing them with contract workers. In this extreme situation of Nepali labour market, workers’ glorious organisation ANTUF cannot remain a silent spectator, the press release adds.
Every year about half million work force enters into labour market in Nepal but their employment security is hardly discussed in parliament. The lack of implementation of existing labour laws, and apathy of government, employers and political parties, have often complicated the working condition of thousands of workers in Nepal…