KATHMANDU, JUN 15, 2012
The government is preparing to sign labour agreements with at least four labour destinations in the next fiscal year. Such accords have been signed with only a few countries despite the declaration that Nepal should have bilateral pacts with all the major labour destinations.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has sent drafts of the proposed agreement to Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their review. “We expect to hear from Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon soon to sign the agreement to assure better working conditions for Nepali workers,” said Budhi Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson of the ministry.
The government has so far signed labour agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. It has entered into an agreement with South Korea to send workers under the Employment Permit System and with Japan to send Nepali industrial trainees.
The ministry is currently drafting a fresh pact for Malaysia after it asked to make an amendment in the draft agreement sent last year.
As per the Foreign Employment Act, the government is required to sign labour pacts with all the major labour destinations to ensure the safety and rights of Nepali workers as set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Nepal had requested Kuwait for a labour pact during the official visit to Nepal last month of Mohammad Ahmad Al-Mujrin Al-Roomi, director of the Asia Department at the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry. Kuwait is one of the top five labour destinations for Nepali job aspirants. As of the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, a total of 59,789 persons have left the country to work in Kuwait.
The government has long been considering signing labour agreements with Oman and Israel, a high-paying destination for women workers. “Since many Nepali women have been working as house maids in Lebanon where there is no Nepali Embassy, the pact is a must for their safety,” said Bal Bahadur Tamang, president of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies. He added that the country needs to sign MoUs with all the countries where Nepali migrants are working to hold their recruiting agencies, firms or individuals employing Nepalis responsible and give legal rights to the workers.
In Lebanon, there are more than 20,000 Nepali workers and most of them are working as domestic help. Jordan is a new labour destination, and as of mid-May, there were more than 1,100 Nepali migrant workers there.
Tamang said that the workers who leave the country for work through personal contacts for domestic works were facing more problems compared to those who go through institutional channels. “The planned pacts should include a provision that allows local recruiting agencies to directly supply workers to companies without the involvement of agencies of the respective countries,” he added.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
The government is preparing to sign labour agreements with at least four labour destinations in the next fiscal year. Such accords have been signed with only a few countries despite the declaration that Nepal should have bilateral pacts with all the major labour destinations.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has sent drafts of the proposed agreement to Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their review. “We expect to hear from Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon soon to sign the agreement to assure better working conditions for Nepali workers,” said Budhi Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson of the ministry.
The government has so far signed labour agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. It has entered into an agreement with South Korea to send workers under the Employment Permit System and with Japan to send Nepali industrial trainees.
The ministry is currently drafting a fresh pact for Malaysia after it asked to make an amendment in the draft agreement sent last year.
As per the Foreign Employment Act, the government is required to sign labour pacts with all the major labour destinations to ensure the safety and rights of Nepali workers as set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Nepal had requested Kuwait for a labour pact during the official visit to Nepal last month of Mohammad Ahmad Al-Mujrin Al-Roomi, director of the Asia Department at the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry. Kuwait is one of the top five labour destinations for Nepali job aspirants. As of the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, a total of 59,789 persons have left the country to work in Kuwait.
The government has long been considering signing labour agreements with Oman and Israel, a high-paying destination for women workers. “Since many Nepali women have been working as house maids in Lebanon where there is no Nepali Embassy, the pact is a must for their safety,” said Bal Bahadur Tamang, president of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies. He added that the country needs to sign MoUs with all the countries where Nepali migrants are working to hold their recruiting agencies, firms or individuals employing Nepalis responsible and give legal rights to the workers.
In Lebanon, there are more than 20,000 Nepali workers and most of them are working as domestic help. Jordan is a new labour destination, and as of mid-May, there were more than 1,100 Nepali migrant workers there.
Tamang said that the workers who leave the country for work through personal contacts for domestic works were facing more problems compared to those who go through institutional channels. “The planned pacts should include a provision that allows local recruiting agencies to directly supply workers to companies without the involvement of agencies of the respective countries,” he added.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
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