Workers demand equal rise in salary

Splinter trade union of UCPN-Maoist has demanded a minimum salary of Rs 12,400 to make it equal to that of civil servants.
The government has in the budget for the current fiscal year increased the lary of civil servants -- on July 15 -- by 21.95 per cent.
Secretary of the UCPN-Maoist and coordinator of ANTUF Posta Bahadur Bogati demanded to increase monthly salary to Rs 12,400 and daily wage to Rs 650. "Minimum wage must be increased to Rs 12,400 to make the salary equal to the civil servant according to the new rise they got in the current fiscal year's budget," he said.
Though, Jamma Kattel led ANTUF, along with GEFONT and NTUC, is still in favour of March 24 agreement but the splinter trade unions of UCPN-Maoist added further demands in minimum wage after the salary hike of civil servants in budget 2011-12.
All Nepal Security Workers Association has also joined the bandwagon in agitation from Tuesday demanding implementation of minimum wage according to April 16.
Nearly a dozen trade unions are in agitation since July 21 and others are following to pressure the government and employers for their salary hike.
Ten trade unions, signatory of April 16 agreement with Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, have urged the government to implement agreement in words. The ministry had agreed to hike monthly salary to Rs 6,200 and daily wage to Rs 231 following two-week long strike in Sunsari-Morang and Hetauda-Birgunj industrial corridors.
It had also published the hike in the gazette but the empoyers moved to the Court for the stay order and the Court also issued stay order agains the Gazette that was published unilaterally by the government bypassing the committee under the Labour Ministry, that can only decide on the salary hike.
Two fractions of CPN-Maoist affiliated trade union, All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), and small trade unions close to Madhesi political parties were in April 16 agreement while ANTUF led by Shalikram Jamma Kattel along with the CPN-UML and Nepal Congress affiliated trade unions had already signed an agreement with employers on March 24.
Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC), General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) and ANTUF had agreed to hike workers salary to Rs 6,100 and daily wage Rs 226 in negotiation with employers– Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Confederation of Nepalese Industries –on March 24. The agreement has introduced social security provision for workers for the first time. However, the government endorsed April l6 agreement in national gazette on May 23 hiking the salary by Rs 100. The employers and three major trade unions, those hold over 80 per cent industrial sector workers are against the government's unilateral decision of April 16.
FNCCI had filed a case against the government decision in minimum wage and got stay order from Supreme Court on June 3. Meanwhile, Independent Democratic Confederation of Nepalese Trade Union filed counter petition on July 14 seeking reversal of the stay order and order to implement minimum wage published in national Gazette. “We are stick to April 16 agreement and it should be implemented in words,” said Badri Bajagai, coordinator of a fraction of ANTUF.
According to him, they will go on indefinite strike from July 31, if employers do not obey the national Gazette.