Living wages of workers should be fixed : JTUCC
The Central Labor Advisory Council, formed to advise the government on labor related matters, has decided to review the minimum wages of workers. The Central Labor Advisory Council meeting chaired by Labor, Employment and Social Security Minister Sharatsingh Bhandari on Friday has taken forward the process of determining the new minimum wage to be implemented from the next financial year.
Currently, the minimum wage of workers is 10,820 rupees and 17,300 rupees including dearness allowance 6,480 rupees.
According to section 102 of the Labor Act, the Central Labor Advisory Council has been formed. The council will have 21 members representing the government, employers and trade unions. In this, 6 secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, Labour, Physical, Agriculture, Industry and Health, 10 people including 5/5 from employers and recognized trade unions, Director General of Labor Department, Executive Director of Social Security Fund, Executive Director of Vocational Skills Development Training Center and Ministry of Labor The Chief Member of the Labor Relations and Social Security Division will be the Secretary.
Labor Minister Bhandari said that a minimum wage determination committee has been formed under the coordination of the head of the Labor Relations Division. The committee will have to review the minimum salary and determine the new salary by the end of next June. According to section 107 of the Labor Act, the committee has to determine the minimum wage every two years.
Previously, the minimum wage of workers working in the field except for tea plantations was set at 17,300 with effect from July 1, 2080. In this, the basic salary was increased to 10,820 and dearness allowance to 6,480. The hourly wage of the laborer is 89 rupees. In this, workers get Rs 56 as basic wages and Rs 33 as dearness allowance. The basic hourly wage for part-time workers is Rs 95.
This wage brought with the consent of the employer has not yet been implemented. Two years ago, the trade unions had demanded that the minimum wage of workers should be fixed at Rs 25,000 per month, taking into account the market price and price increase. However, the government increased the number by only 2300 to 17 thousand 300 showing the economic recession.
According to the latest labor audit report of the Nepal Trade Union Federation (Gefont), there are 21 percent of industries/establishments that do not pay the minimum wage effective from July 1, 2080. There are 72.6 percent of companies that do not provide basic facilities such as minimum wages and overtime to workers working through labor supplier (outsource) companies. "From this, it is clear that labor exploitation is getting worse," it is mentioned in Gefont's labor audit.
The Joint Trade Union Coordinating Center (JTUCC) has said that a living wage should be determined while arranging for a timely review and full implementation of the minimum wage. JTUCC demands that ``immediately and unconditionally implement the fixed minimum wage and ensure the implementation of the establishments that refuse to implement the minimum wage.
The meeting recommended the ministry to proceed with the ratification process of Protocol 29 of 2014 under International Labor Organization Convention 81 (Labor Inspection Convention, 1947), Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948) and Forced Labor Convention, 1930. is It has also provided important suggestions to make the labor and employment conference to be held in Kathmandu on February 16 and 17 a success.
