Concluding a two-day meet in Kathmandu on Friday, they also urged social partners to declare 2016-2026 a Reconstruction and Development Decade.
The International Solidarity Meeting on 'Reconstruction: By Creating Decent Jobs' oraganized in Kathmandu on Thursday and Friday by the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), together with ITUC Nepal Affiliates Council, also charted out a roadmap for reconstruction and development of Nepal.
The roadmap calls on the government and stakeholders to also focus on education, health care, and social protection in addition to job creation.
Discussing the way forward in a new paradigm shift of post-quake realities, the major trade unions of the country -- Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC), General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), and All Nepal Trade Union Federation-Revolutionary (ANTUF) -- reviewed the disastrous earthquake of April 25 that caused heavy human and property losses.
There is a huge shortage of labor for reconstruction, whereas Nepali youth are still going to foreign lands for jobs, GEFONT President Bishnu Rimal said on the occasion.
"Creating decent jobs back home can stop migration and also help in reconstruction work," he added.
The four strategic pillars of the Decent Work Agenda -- job creation, respect for international labor standards and rights at work, social protection for all and effective social dialogue and tripartism -- should be followed in the reconstruction decade, he said, backing the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report.
"However, there should be a guarantee for trade union representation in the National Reconstruction Authority," he said, adding that a Post-disaster Reconstruction Monitoring Committee in all 14 districts should also ensure trade union representation.
Likewise, NTUC President Khilanath Dahal stressed on 'Worker Friendly State - Work Friendly Governance'.
"We would like to be reassured not only by the government but also by the concerned stakeholders that there will be no corruption in the construction and development process and projects," he said, adding that a new fair development strategy needs to be focused on boosting reconstruction/new construction, maximizing the potential of the tourism industry, developing agriculture as much as possible from the present state of subsistence levels to commercial ones, and promoting a flourishing service sector.
Addressing the panel, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Vice-chairman and Chairman of the Employment Council under FNCCI Shekhar Golchha said that employers and employees are two faces of a coin. "Decent job is everybody's right," he said, adding that the government was bringing a new Labour Law soon. "The government should create an investment-friendly environment for more job creation," he added.
State minister for Labor and Employment Tek Bahadur Gurung hailed the trade unions and said that the government was committed to creating decent jobs inside and out of the country.
On the occasion, International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) Deputy General Secretary Jaap Wienen expressed solidarity for the dignified jobs agenda for Nepali workers in reconstruction work.
International trade union community members from abroad supporting Nepali counterparts also discussed on skills development, vocational training and education courses on a large scale that would play vital roles in the entire phase of long-term development.
"Though it is a huge challenge for mass-training of workers for reconstruction work, we can do it," Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) Director Mahesh Bhattarai said. He also highlighted the need to create a roaster of skilled workers, and training on earthquake resisting structures.
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