PM directs ministry to solve problems of Nepalis in Gulf

KATHMANDU, Sept 30: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has instructed the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management to give information as to why the Nepalis who have gone to the Gulf countries for work are suffering and what could be the ways of resolving the problem.



Speaking in a discussion program on Nepali workers being cheated in the Gulf countries organized at the Office of the Prime Minister Friday, Prime Minister Bhattarai directed the Ministry of Labour to work towards addressing the problem immediately.[break]



In course of returning home after participating in the 66th U.N. General Assembly recently, the Prime Minister had met with the Nepali workers in Qatar and seen for himself the problems faced by them.



In the programme, the prime minister instructed the Secretary at the Ministry of Labour Dr. Ramhari Aryal to come up with an action plan to address this problem in the next meeting, said Ramrijhan Yadav, the prime minister’s press advisor.



Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, Lilamani Poudel said in the meeting the prime minister expressed concern over why the Nepalis who have gone on foreign employment were suffering and how their problems could be addressed.



Prime Minister Bhattarai has given directives to call the Nepali ambassador to different Gulf countries to the next meeting, Poudel said.



According to Poudel in the programme the Nepali ambassadors to the countries concerned were criticized for not playing effective role in protecting the interests of the Nepali workers.



Secretaries in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and Labour attended the programme.



PM hopeful for resolution of labor disputes



Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bhattarai has said the industrial environment will be created only when there is friendly relation between the workers and entrepreneurs.



At a meeting with labour advisors held at the Prime Minister´s office Friday, Dr. Bhattarai said the country could gain economic progress if the works are carried out maintaining harmony between the workers and business community.



On the occasion, the Prime Minister also urged both sides to make industry-friendly environment by resolving the problems surfaced in this sector in a reciprocal manner.



The favourable environment to settle the problems in the industrial sector has been made, said senior leader of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), Ganesh Regmi, adding that Rs. 6,200 has been determined as the workers´ minimum remuneration.



Regmi informed that today´s meeting agreed to withdraw the cases filed by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) in the Supreme Court (SC) on the labour disputes.



Likewise, it was also agreed to form a taskforce comprising the representatives of workers, employers and government respective mechanism to address various problems of workers including that of the remuneration.



The meeting also reached an agreement to form a high-level workers commission within coming three months.



A historic agreement was made between the workers and entrepreneurs, commented FNCCI Vice-chairperson Pashupati Murarka, adding with this we are confident the problem persisting in this sector will get resolved.



Representatives from Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Industry and Labour attended the meeting.

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