KATHMANDU, August 18: Business and trade union leaders have termed the recent passage of Labor Act and Social Security Act as a milestone achievement in a journey toward forging better employer-labor relationship.
Speaking at an interaction organized by FNCCI, leaders of the private sector and trade unions said the passage of both acts was a win-win for both employers and workers.
They also said the new laws would help end bitter relations between the employers and laborers.
Business, trade union leaders hail passage of of new labor laws
“These acts will play an important role in establishing cordial labor relationship and better management of Nepal’s labor market,” FNCCI President Bhawani Rana said. “These crucial laws will help to create jobs and steer the country toward prosperity.”
While a contribution-based Social Security Act, 2074 had already been authenticated by the president, the parliament recently approved the Labor Act, 2073.
FNCCI Senior Vice President Shekhar Golchha said labor tensions had been one of the major challenges of doing business and would be now addressed by the new acts.
Chandra Dhakal, president of the Employers’ Council of the FNCCI, said the new Labor Act ensured labor rights for workers of small-to-large-scale enterprises. “The new law will make the collective bargaining process more systematic,” he said.
Trade union leaders have also echoed the sentiment of business leaders. Bishnu Rimal, the president of GEFONT, said the laws had ensured an environment for private sector to do their business and for laborers to work in a fearless environment. Khila Nath Dahal, president at Nepal Trade Union Congress, said the new laws had created a ‘win-win situation’ for both workers and business firms.
ILO Nepal Director Richard Howard said implementation of the laws would help in job creation. Binda Pandey, a deputy member of the Governing Body of the ILO, said elected local governments should also be included in the process to implement the new laws.
