Now, both sides have reached a labor agreement in the field of general labor, excluding domestic workers. This is a very good thing. This is a beginning. It should be reviewed from time to time.
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Saudi Arabia is the oldest labor destination for Nepali workers. Nepal has had diplomatic relations with this Gulf country since 1977. Nepal has a labor agreement with this country, where around four hundred thousand Nepalis work.
What is the meaning of this agreement after almost 15 years of continuous efforts? How are the interests and protection of Nepali workers? On this question, Kantipur's Hom Karki had a brief conversation with former Nepali ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, Udayaraj Pandey:
Why did it take more than a decade and a half to sign a labor agreement between Nepal and Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has not yet set a minimum wage, it should be set first. Then comes the matter of 24-hour life insurance. The issue of a labor agreement between Nepal and Saudi Arabia had been on the agenda for a long time. While Saudi Arabia was more interested in domestic workers, we had been emphasizing more on ordinary workers. This is why the process is getting delayed under one pretext or another. We also raised the issue of domestic workers, but our insistence was that we should sign an agreement with provisions that would protect them. Saudi Arabia did not like some of the provisions we had put forward. The issue of the agreement was being shifted back and forth due to provisions that they did not want and we needed. Finally, now both sides have left domestic workers and reached a labor agreement in the area of ordinary workers. This is a very good thing. This is a beginning. It should be reviewed from time to time.
What difference does it make whether a labor agreement is signed between two countries or not?
There are some important provisions in the labor agreement, which protect the interests and protection of workers. If those provisions are violated, our embassy can raise the issue with the officials of the relevant Saudi ministry or joint mechanism. The agreement is a moral obligation for both parties. If the issues mentioned in it are not implemented, the relevant party must respond. Therefore, it is easier to implement the issues provided by the agreement.
What do you see as the government's main focus in implementing this agreement?
There are many issues. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the first thing is the minimum wage. Saudi Arabia has not yet set a minimum wage, it should be set first. Then comes the matter of 24-hour life insurance. One should not rely on insurance for working hours only. Sometimes, it takes an hour by car to reach the factory from the hostel where the worker is staying. In some cases, accidents while commuting are considered accidents outside the scope of work and are denied insurance. Similarly, the issue of sending the body to Nepal when a worker dies in Saudi Arabia is also complicated. It should be simplified. The issue of labor costs is also important. There is a tendency to exploit workers unnecessarily when sending them, and the question arises of how to end it. All these issues should be raised seriously. The Nepalese side should always be vigilant in this. Now these issues should be recorded in the joint meeting. Such issues should never be left unraised.
