Labour committee endorses minimum wage

The government has today endorsed 11 point agreement between employers and major trade unions including 'No Work No Pay' and social security to workers. Meeting of Central Labour Advisory Committee held today under Prime Minister Dr Babu Ram Bhattrai leadership agreed on four points to resolve tension in industrial sector.
PM Bhattrai has been also serving as Minister for labour and Transport Management, who would chair the committee.
Most of the problems in industrial sector related to labour is expected to be solved, said Krishna Hari Puskar Karma joint-spokesperson of the ministry. According to him, the meeting endorsed March 24 agreement between Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and three major trade unions– General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF).
In the meeting, the government committed to introduce Social Security Act within three months."It is a great achievement for trade unions," Bishnu Rijal, president of GEFONT said, adding that formation of tripartite committee to sort out labour dispute is yet another milestone. "We have agreed to set up a committee of employers, trade unions and the government to solve labour disputes," he said.
The committee that will act as dispute settlement mechanism has been proposed from central level to district level. The meeting also agreed to build a Minimum Wage Board, committed to implement No Work No pay and enforce industrial peace year for next four years.
FNCCI, the employers organisation, welcomed the decision as it has addressed their issues. "Employers are happy and withdrawing the case from Supreme Court," said Pashupati Murarka, president of Employers Council of FNCCI. He also urged the government to strictly implement the agreement.
FNCCI had filed a petition against the government in Supreme Court as the government neglected their March 24 agreement and published Ministry of Labour and Transport Management's April 16 agreement with minor trade unions including ANTUF splinter ones, unilaterally in the government gazette.
There was minor difference in minimum wage in two agreements but the later has no provision of social security, No Work No Pay and four years long no strike deal. The March 24 agreement had fixed Rs 6,100 as minimum wage of workers whereas April 16 agreement increased that to Rs 6,200. The first agreement had Rs 226 as daily wages but the second one has Rs 231.
Meanwhile, the committee has fixed minimum wage of tea garden workers. The committee has increased workers minimum wage by Rs 1,064 and daily wage to Rs 158.