The ILO Convention 87, among other things, provides the labourers the right to be affiliated to any organisation and guarantees core labour standards to all workers.[break]
Speaking at a two-day interaction on “Trade Union Rights” organised on Monday jointly by General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), Nepal Trade Union Congress-Independent and some other unions, the speakers said laborers couldn’t unite as Nepal hasn’t signed the ILO Convention 87.
Dan Kuniya, Director of the Labor Activities Office in ILO Geneva, called on the government to ratify the ILO Convention 87 to guarantee laborers’ right to work independently and ensure social security to them.
Clarifying that the ILO Convention 87 doesn’t touch army and police, he said it guarantees the right of workers to unite.
Joint Secretary of Ministry of Labor and Transport Management Purna Chandra Bhattarai said the government ratified seven out of eight conventions related to laborers and though the Convention 87 hasn’t been signed thinking that it might affect army and police, discussions to ratify it were underway.
Maintaining that the government will not bar workers from their right to unite, he expressed commitment to take initiatives to ratify the Convention 87 as soon as possible.
President of GEFONT Bishnu Rimal said a resolution motion on ILO Convention 87 was tabled in the Parliament on Baishak 28, 2063, but it hasn’t been endorsed yet. The government should ratify the convention to guarantee the laborers’ right to unite, he said.
President of ANTUF Shalik Ram Jamarkattel said the failure to ratify the convention has deprived workers of various services.
Around 70 workers are taking part in the function that will end on Tuesday.
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