Preparatory works to recruit jobseekers such as ticketing, making passports, orientations, selection of workers and even movement of workers have come to a virtual standstill for the last three days due to the indefinite strike.[break]
“Most of the workers come from remote villages for job processing works. But all documentation and other official works in manpower agencies have been disrupted for the last few days due to the strike,” Gyan Prasad Gaire, vice president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), told Republica on Monday.
He also said the strike had affected the movement of local agents in the villages as well.
Gaire, who is also the proprietor of Rara Employment Consultancy, said jobseekers that were making final preparation for overseas jobs, have suffered the most as more than 90 percent of Nepali manpower agents have shut their offices due to the strike.
“If the strike continued for long, Nepal´s foreign employment sector will have to face a huge loss,” Gaire said.
Kamal Tamang, secretary of NAFEA, echoed Gaire. “Delay in sending workers to labor destinations on time might divert demands brought by local manpower agents to other sending countries,” Tamang said.
He further said document processing works of over 200 jobseekers at his agency - Himarab Overseas - has been disrupted for the last three days. “If the strike continued for some more days, we might have to abort the whole process,” Tamang added.
BN Parajuli, proprietor of Subas Bijaya Overseas, said the process to select 210 workers to be employed in Hotel Mecca of Saudi Arabia has not progressed due to the banda. “I have to send the workers within a month. I don´t think I will be able to meet the deadline,” Parajuli added.
Manohar Khanal, director of Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), said the number of final permissions issued by DoFE has sharply dropped over the last couple of days.
“The number of final permissions has dipped to 165 on Sunday and around 200 on Monday, as compared to 700 to 800 permissions recorded on normal days,” he added.
However, Bhumi Nanda Bhandari of Immigration Office at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) said number of workers leaving for overseas jobs hasn´t gone down despite the banda.
“The number might not have declined as DoFE issues permissions and stickers to workers a few days before their departures. The number might decline after a few days,” he added.
Around 800 youths leave for overseas jobs every day through TIA
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