Manpower agencies threaten to launch protest

The outsourcers have threatened to protest as the government has failed to resume issuing work permits to Malaysia-bound Nepali workers.
The recruiting agencies have warned to stage protest, if the government does not start issuing Malaysian work permits within Tuesday. “The government is not serious towards resuming the permit for Nepali workers to Malaysia,” Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies said, adding that the association will start protest programmes from Wednesday.
Urging the government to immediately start issuing work permits to Malaysia, the association said it will start the protest by picketing at Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security claimed that a meeting of a joint technical team of both the governments of Nepal and Malaysia will soon sort out issues as the supply of Nepali workers to Malaysia has been halted since last May. After the government cracked down on Immigration Security Clearance and One Stop Centre that had been levying additional charges on Nepali migrants, the supply of Nepali migrant workers have halted.
The two governments also had inked a bilateral labour pact last October to resume the outflow of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia but the delay in finalising the medical-related issues by both governments has made it difficult for the outsourcers to resume the outflow.

Workers’ outflow posts record high

Nepalis joining foreign jobs set new record in the fourth month of the current fiscal year (mid-October to mid-November).
Department of Foreign Employment issued foreign job permits to 47,176 Nepalis in Kartik, which is the largest in Nepali foreign employment history. Earlier, in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) some 45,165 had joined foreign jobs. But migration to foreign countries has dropped in Bhadra and Ashwin due to festive season. Around 37,808 and 26,581 Nepalis had joined abroad job in Bhadra and Ashwin, respectively.
Increased unskilled workers demand in major job destinations – Qatar, Malaysia, UAE and Saudi Arabia – contributed to the record growth.
According to the department, Qatar bagged top hiring position with employing 12,875 Nepalis followed by Malaysia (10,158), UAE (9,535), Saudi Arabia (8,914) and Kuwait (2,412).
Though, the record number of Nepalis joined foreign jobs last month, outsourcers contribution has decreased significantly. Organised sector sent just half of the total migrant workers at 22,041, while 25,135 reached Gulf countries and Malaysia through individual contracts. Migration through individual contracts has started rising since last year and it had surpassed organised sector two months ago.
Women migration to foreign job has also set record in Kartik. About 7,333 Nepalis women migrant workers reached the destinations, mainly Gulf countries. Kuwait topped in women migrant workers hiring list with 958 entries in the tiny country, while Israel (291), Malaysia (245) and lebanon (103) became the second, third and forth host countries.
Gulf countries Bahrain and Oman hired 891 and 41 Nepalis, respectively in a month, whereas war-ravaged Afghanistan hired 265 Nepali workers mainly in security sector. South Korea provided jobs to 263 Nepalis including 54 from Employment Permit System (EPS).
About 35 and 15 Nepali job seekers reached Euro zone countries the UK and Finland respectively while Asia’s biggest economy Japan hired 245 Nepali workers in Kartik.

The outflow
Shrawan — 45,165
Bhadra — 37,808
Ashwin — 26,581
Kartik — 47,176

Malaysia reduces foreign labour forces

Major Nepali labour destination market Malaysia has shed a huge number jobs of as it is hit due to the financial crisis. More than 26,000 people have lost their jobs in Malaysia so far this year as the economic slowdown forced employers to cut back, reported a news agency Bernama today.
Malaysian Employers' Federation executive director Shamsuddin Bardan told Bernama he expected further job losses in the coming weeks. He said a $16.2 billion stimulus package unveiled earlier this month had not provided immediate incentive for companies to retain their workers. The blue-collar Nepali job-holders are among the worst hit in the East Asian country that had seen a boom in the construction sector in the past years.
The Malaysian government has slashed work permit approvals for foreign workers by almost 70 per cent this year and cancelled work visas of 55,000 Bangladeshi workers after unions said the situation for Malaysians was bleak enough.
In January, the Malaysian government has also banned the hiring of new foreign workers in the manufacturing and services sectors after a report forecast 45,000 Malaysians would lose their jobs in the next few months.
Malaysia is one of Asia's largest importers of labour and has an estimated 2.2 million foreign workers who are the mainstay of the plantation and manufacturing sectors. There are around 4,00,000 Nepalis in Malaysia. The country slipped from second position to fourth as a top Nepali labour destination market. Only 1,509 Nepalis migrant workers reached Malaysia in Falgun. Qatar, as usual ranked first, with 5,177 Nepalis going to work in the Gulf country.
According to the Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), a total of 13,743 Nepalis left for nearly four dozens countries between mid-Feb and mid-March, 296 less than the number the previous month. Around 14,039 people left for foreign employment in Falgun (between mid-January and mid-February).
Nearly 9,758 Nepalis -- 9304 male and 454 female -- got prior permission last month. Likewise, 3,025 migrant workers left Nepal through individual sources. A slight change in the pattern of Nepali migrant workers was seen in DoFE data. The number of Nepalis going to non-preferred destinations increased in Falgun.

Call for labour diplomacy

Experts today demanded labour diplomacy to empower, safeguard and expand the migrant labourers' market.
"The government should play the role of a watchdog," said Prof Tashlima Siddique from Dhaka University addressing an interaction programme, 'Women in Foreign Employment: Right or Wrong -- Experience from Bangladesh and Nepal' organised by Labour Journalists' Group, Nepal and NIDS here.
When male migrant workers are harassed, the government does not take any action. "But when a women migrant worker is harassed, it becomes a tool for the government to ban women migrant workers from having economic freedom," she said adding that the government should lift such bans and facilitate and inform women migrant workers to make it more secure for them.
"Nobody can dismiss women migrant workers' rights," social scientist Ganesh Gurung said adding that they should be given the option of informed choice.
"Women migrant workers should be trained and given orientation for better perks and safety before going out," the experts said while agreeing that the fates of Nepali and Bangladeshi women are not much different as both the countries' governments have similar attitudes towards women.
"Along with political freedom, economic freedom is a must for women empowerment," Gurung said adding that they not only contribute to the economy but also to bringing about change in society.
"Choice of profession is a personal matter," said Prof Siddiqi while sharing Bangladeshi experience on lifting the ban on women migrant workers. Both Bangladeshi and Nepali male migrant workers in Gulf countries have protested against sending women migrant workers asked their respective governments to ban women workers from going abroad.
There is a huge demand for women migrant workers but government officials are confused and they take decisions based on a single case, which cannot be a benchmark. "If the governments do not facilitate the women migrant workers, they will be trafficked and become more vulnerable," Prof Siddiqi and Gurung both said.
The Bangladesh government has put various restrictions on women migrant workers and so has the Nepal government, though in practice they have not banned them from going out.
"According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), there are only 40,000 women migrant workers. But the actual number is double," said Gurung.
Nepal's situation corresponds to that of Bangladesh. Every year 3,00,000 Nepalis enter the domestic labour market and 40 per cent of them are women. Nepal could not employ them all and finally they land up in the foreign labour market -- either legally or illegally.Prior to 1997, there was no any restriction on women migrant workers but Nepal put a ban on their going out in May 1997 after a woman Kami Sherpa's death in Saudi Arabia.

GLOBAL CRISIS-4: Meltdown hits work destination Qatar

Global financial crisis has hit the construction sector in Qatar -- a country that has been the most favoured destination of Nepali migrant workers -- forcing the sector to halt new recruitment.
Though Nepal's ambassador to Qatar Surya Nath Mishra said Qatar has approved 1,12,000 new visas for Nepalis, data from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) tells a different and stark story.
According to the department, only 6,413 Nepalis left for Qatar in the seventh month -- from mid-January to mid-February -- of this fiscal year. In 2008, an average of 3,647 Nepalis left for Qatar and the trend is decreasing in 2009 despite the envoy's assurance that recession will only hit Qatar next year in 2010. Around 95 per cent of the Nepalis employed in Qatar work in the construction sector there, according to the envoy.
Major construction companies in Qatar have halted new projects and that is hitting all Nepali workers directly. In the first seven months of this fiscal year, Qatar absorbed a total of 46,202 Nepali migrant labourers. The number is down from 47,509 during the corresponding period last year.
Qatar presently employs some 2,86,511 Nepali employees, according to official data. It is one of the countries with which Nepal has entered into a bilateral labour agreement. According to the pact, officials from two countries will meet every two years. "The meeting between the officials could help to clarify the confusion," the envoy added.
The bilateral labour accord between Nepal and Qatar came into force from January 20, 2008, ensuring better pay and perks for Nepali workers though the two countries had signed the labour pact in 2005.
The then Labour Minister Ramesh Lekhak and his Qatari counterpart Dr Sultan bin Hassan Al Dhabit Al Dousari had last January signed an addendum protocol -- to formally implement the labour pact inked some two years ago -- in Qatar's capital Doha. According to the protocol, Nepali workers would get paid at par with other overseas employees at around 800 riyals. The initial cost for Nepalis to get employment in Qatar also went down by 50 per cent.
Nepal and Qatar signed the bilateral labour pact on March 21, 2005. The pact -- signed by the then foreign minister Ramesh Nath Panday -- remained inactive because neither side took any initiative to bring it into practice until 2008.
After the pact came into effect, Nepali workers were expected to get remuneration and facilities as specified by the labour law of Qatar. The accord ensured Nepali migrant workers' legal status in accordance with other migrant workers' countries with whom Qatar has signed labour pacts.
Qatar emerged as the most popular destination for most of the unskilled and manual works in construction works. A small number of Nepalis is also working in the service sector like petrol pumps, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls. "One per cent of Nepalis work in the technical sector, 0.5 per cent in service sector, 0.3 per cent in the health sector and 0.2 per cent are self-employed," said Mishra.
Qatar had overtaken Malaysia as the most popular destination for Nepali jobseekers.

GLOBAL CRISIS-3: Fewer workers Malaysia-bound

Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) data reveal that the number of Nepali migrant workers leaving for Malaysia -- the second most preferred destination -- has dropped in the seventh month of this fiscal year.
The number of workers leaving for Malaysia dropped to 1,553 during the month in comparison to 2,873 a month earlier. "The decrease in number is due to the Malaysian government's recent decision not to take in any foreign migrant workers, especially in the manufacturing and service sectors, from January," said Foreign Employment Association of Nepal (FEAN) president Tilak Ranabhat. On January 10, the Malaysian government put a freeze on the intake of foreign workers due to global financial crisis.
However, Nepalis already working in Malaysia will not be affected due to the East Asian country's decision. "The interests of Nepalis working in Malaysia will not be overlooked," Nepal's ambassador to Malaysia Dr Rishi Raj Adhikari said, adding that Nepal has accepted that Malaysia will let demand and supply dictate wages.
The important thing is that recruitment will be done fairly, with all sides -- workers, employers and recruiting agents -- protected, according to him.
There are about 3,00,000 Nepalis working in Malaysia, most of them in the construction and agriculture sectors and a few in service and other sectors -- making Nepalis one of the largest foreign workforces in Malaysia.
Nepal started sending workers to Malaysia, though through private manpower agencies, since 2001. The two governments have agreed on minimum wage, which was set at RM600 ($167) a month.
Adhikari, who was posted in Malaysia after the Maoist-led government came to power last April, said that the Nepali embassy in Malaysia is keenly watching the economic scenario there as Malaysia is hit by the global financial crisis.
However, in total the number of Nepali migrant workers leaving for foreign employment has increased by eight per cent during the current period compared to Poush month. According to data, a total of 18,715 workers left for different foreign job destinations in the seventh month of this fiscal year, up from 17,300 in the sixth month.

Government seeks agents for destination Japan

The government has invited applications from manpower agencies in order to select them as agents for sending Nepali trainee workers to Japan.
However, intellectuals are concerned that the Japan job aspirants might end up paying more than required if manpower agencies are given the task. "The government itself should send trainee workers to Japan and save them from getting cheated," said an economist on condition of anonymity. He added that the governmment's decision would create controversy similar to the one for South Korean jobs before the Nepal and South Korean governments sealed a deal on sending Nepali migrant workers to South Korea. At present, Korean job-seekers have to spend around Rs 70,000 each. Earlier, they had to pay a hefty sum of Rs 5 to 6 lakh.
"The government has given February 4 as the deadline for application," said Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoEF). He added that it has already started the long-stalled process of sending Nepali trainee workers to Japan. "After February 4, the department wil start the process of selecting agencies," he said.
The government has set some criteria, such as the agency should have the largest network nationwide and also own its office building for getting selected as the agent. Meanwhile, those who won't be selected can work as sub-agents.
Japan is being viewed as a new lucrative destination for Nepali migrant workers after the government stopped issuing work permits for Malaysia -- the second most-favoured destination of Nepali job-aspirants -- following the Malaysian government's move not to take in foreign workers due to the global financial crisis.
In 2003, on December 3 the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Japan International Training Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) signed a preliminary agreement for sending Nepali migrant workers to Japan after the government gave FNCCI the responsibility of sending Nepali workers to Japan. Still, even after almost five years not a single Nepali trainee worker has been sent to Japan that has started taking foreign workers in agriculture, construction, food processing, fishery, electronics and garments sectors from 14 countries.
Sapkota also said that his department would now onwards hold press meets on a fortnightly basis to disseminate information on the procedings of the department. "From Sunday, no brokers will be allowed to enter the department," he said while promising that the department would serve service-seekers on a first-come, first-served basis.
"We have also started collecting data about those returning," he said adding that the department is also eyeing alternative destinations like Oman and Libya. As matters stand, it is the government's compulsion at present to find new destinations as it has not been able to generate jobs here at home.
Some time ago, on an average 656 Nepalis used to leave for various destinations daily in search of greener pastures. At a conservative estimate, 1.24 million Nepalis are working abroad. The country was also reaping the benefits of the remittance sent home by migrant workers that was contributing 17.4 per cent to the total GDP. Of the total remittance, Saudi Arabia tops the list, followed by Qatar and Malaysia.

Labour department bifurcated into two

The government has bifurcated the Labour Department into two different units -- Department of Foreign Employment and Labour Department.
The former Labour Department used to look after all issues related to labourers, domestic and migrants. "In order to look after the increasing migrant labour force and its problems, the government has divided the department into two," said Lekh Raj Bhatta, Minister for Labour and Transport Management, while inaugurating the newly-formed Department of Foreign Employment here today.
Due to lack of job opportunities at home in the wake of the decade-long armed conflict, the younger generation Nepalis are forced to go abroad in search of greener pastures. "Their contribution to the economy cannot be ignored," Bhatta said adding that their contribution to the GDP is at 17.4 per cent.
According to the official record, 1,20,4,937 Nepali migrant workers are in various countries all over the world. The remittance sent by them is keeping the economy afloat. "The remittance should be used in productive sectors," Bhatta suggested adding that at present, the remittance sent by them is invested in land and houses. "These are are unproductive sectors," he opined.
"Manpower agencies should be labelled a respectable profession," the former rebel said and added, "Nepali migrant workers are not getting paid according to standards set by the employer countries due to various reasons. This should be rectified." He added that the government was serious about labour problems -- migrant and back home both -- and the separation of the department showed the government's commitment."The formation of separate departments would make handling the migrant labourers' and domestic labourers' issues easier," said Mohan Krishna Sapkota, director general of the department.
The government received Rs 1,42,680 million remittance - that is 25 per cent of the GNP - in the fiscal year 2007-08, Sapkota said. "In view of the importance of the migrant workforce, the sector new department has been formed according to the Foreign Labour Act 2064," he added.