The call comes on the second day of the protests launched jointly by Nepal National Employees Federation, National Independent Employees Friendship Center and Government Office Drivers Association.
“The government is very considerate toward the demand by employees and is positive about resolving the problem through dialogue,” states a press release issued by the Ministry of Finance. “In this context, the government hopes the employees will put an end to all protest programs and return to work.” Finance Minister Surendra Pandey speaking at the legislature parliament also said the government has taken the demand of civil servants seriously and will hold talks with the union representatives.
The civil servants affiliated with the three major employees associations had launched protests a day after the finance minister -- in his budget speech -- announced a dearness allowance ranging from 10 to 12 percent of civil servants´ salaries.
The employees affiliated with three unions had argued distribution of allowance on percentage basis will be unfavorable for low ranking staff as this will leave high-ranking officials with more money, while those at lower ranks will still have to struggle to make their ends meet.
This discrepancy in the government´s offer and employees´ demand led the civil servants to protest for two hours on Tuesday. Their major demand was a flat increment of Rs 5,000 in salaries of all government staff.
On Wednesday, the protest intensified further and agitated employees prevented vehicles of ministers, secretaries and other high-ranking officials from entering Singha Durbar, sending the central secretariat complex into complete disarray.
But, on Wednesday, employees softened their demand and said they were ready to settle for a raised allowance instead of increment in salary.
The flexibility shown by the employees is expected to reduce the financial burden on the state in the long run, if the government agrees to address their demands at all. Any increment in the salary will drastically increase the liability on the government in the long term as pension amounts are fixed on the basis of monthly pays, whereas a hike in allowances will only create additional burden on the state in the short term as this amount need not be given once the employee retires.
“We are ready to accept a hike in allowances,” Krishna Bhandari, the president of National Independent Employees Friendship Center, told myrepublica.com. But he reiterated that any increment (in salary or allowance) should be equal and on a flat rate basis, and not on a percentage basis.
“If our demands are not met, we will launch a nationwide protest,” Bhandari warned.
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