SEBON-union talks fail

KATHMANDU, March 23: The dialogue between senior administrative officials and agitating employees of Security Board of Nepal (SEBON) could not yield breakthrough on Tuesday after SEBON Chairman Surbir Poudel refused to endorse a draft agreement that bars extension of job contracts of the newly appointed two employees after the end of their three-month contracts.

Administrative and other regular works of SEBON, the capital market regulator, have come to a standstill over the last one week due to protest of employees, who have been demanding immediate termination of appointment of two employees who were directly hired by the chairman. [break]

Employee Union of SEBON, which has been padlocking the chambers of chairman and two directors from March 17, also locked chambers of other departmental heads from Tuesday as a part of their second phase of protest.

Poudel, who was on leave on Tuesday, had entrusted the departmental heads to hold the talks with the union leaders of the agitating employees to resolve the problems.

“Today´s meeting failed to resolve the problems as the chairman refused to sign the understanding reached between employees´ union and departmental heads,” Raju GC, president of SEBON employees´ union, told myrepublica.com.

Nullification of latest appointment of two staffs

Delegation of authority to a senior staff in absence of chairman

Regular meeting of SEBON´s board

Impartial selection of employees for training within the country and abroad

Withdrawal of recommendation to remove two of the SEBON´s board members

After the talks failed, the union issued a statement stating that they would launch another phase of protest if their demands were not addressed within March 28.

Niraj Giri, spokesperson of SEBON, who was also in the negotiating team, said the understanding reached between the two sides could not be endorsed due to the chairman´s refusal. He further informed that both the sides had agreed not to extend term of the two employees and recruit employees without announcing vacancy among others.

Last week, SEBON had appointed an officer and an assistant on a three-year contract for Security Data Management Project (SDMP) -- a project funded by the World Bank.

Chairman Poudel said the union padlocked the office without informing the officials of the board about their fresh demands. Poudel insisted that the new appointments can´t be withdrawn as the appointments were made as per the need of the project.