Contract employees protested on Tuesday and Wednesday after the government began preparing to change the current framework for hiring ungraded support staff on contracts. They protested in front of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday and staged a sit-in in front of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration on Wednesday. The protest has been suspended for the time being after the government made a verbal commitment on Wednesday. 

A task force under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has proposed that employees required for support services and general technical services can be hired through the formation of a public company limited or from external service providers (outsourcing). As soon as this proposal was released, employees currently working on contracts protested. 

Employees are working on contracts in ministries, departments and various bodies. Their contracts are renewed every Shrawan.  Contract employees say they had to protest because their jobs were deemed unsafe during the renewal. They met with Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration Pratibha Rawal on Tuesday and expressed their concerns. 

Prime Minister's Policy, Administration and Good Governance Advisor Sudip Dhakal had called representatives of the protesting employees for talks on Wednesday. He expressed his commitment that there would be no problem in the continuity of the jobs of contract employees, said Shyam Sapkota, chairman of the Temporary, Contract and Wage Employees Joint Struggle Committee. 'He has said that we have come to provide employment, not to take away anyone's employment,' he said.

Sapkota said that they have suspended the protest program for the time being after Advisor Dhakal's verbal commitment. 'We are waiting for a written decision, a commitment,' he said, 'He said that a written one will come. After receiving so much commitment from the Prime Minister's Office, we have stopped the agitation for now.' Sangharsh Samiti General Secretary Chiranjivi Nepal said that the next step will be taken after seeing how the commitment is implemented.

The government is conducting an Organization and Management (O&M) survey of all ministries and subordinate bodies. For that, a high-level task force has been formed under the leadership of Kiranraj Sharma, Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The task force's meeting on June 22 decided to clarify the policy on establishing a public company limited under the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, Federal Affairs and General Administration or outsourcing it. 

The task force stated that such a decision was taken to manage the necessary manpower for auxiliary or general technical services such as cleaners, office assistants, plumbers, gardeners, gardeners, mechanics, assistants related to beruju farchhot, mic operators, light vehicle drivers, assistant computer operators, computer technicians, data entry operators, computer operators, etc. Employees have been appointed on contract in such posts. 

The task force has also suggested that the Ministry of General Administration immediately start work to make new arrangements by converting the current structure of auxiliary employees and complete it within the next 3 months. After the decision of the high-level task force reached the ministries, employees working on contract have organized and started raising their issues. 

Jitendra Mishra, who was working as an assistant in the former Ministry of Youth and Sports, says that contract employees have been left stranded after the reorganization of the ministry. The youth-related issues of the Ministry of Youth and Sports have been merged with the Ministry of Labor and Employment, and the Sports and Education Ministry. Permanent employees have been divided between the two ministries. ‘But the management of contracts has not been done yet,’ Mishra said. 

Joint Struggle Committee Chairman Sapkota said that the government’s attempt to send employees who have been working on contracts for 20/25 years home empty-handed is unacceptable. ‘Working employees should not be dismissed, they should be renewed regularly from Shrawan,’ he said, ‘The first issue is job security. Second, in the event of reduction in posts and dismissal, they should not be sent home empty-handed. These are our demands.’ 

In a meeting with contract employees, Minister Rawal has asked them not to interpret the circular from the high-level task force as a decision even if it comes. ‘No decision has been made on the implementation of the circular. There will be further discussions on that,' she told the contract employees, 'You will not be made to suffer injustice.'

Sangharsh Samiti Chairman Sapkota said that around 15,000 employees are on contract in the bodies under the federal government. Ekdev Adhikari, spokesperson for the Ministry of General Administration, said that since the ministry or body hires employees on contract according to its needs, all the details of them will not be kept in the ministry. Sudan Khwakhali Shrestha, Information Officer of the Employees' Bookstore, also said that the details of employees working on contract will not be kept in the bookstore.

The contract employees are demanding that if the new Organization and Management (O&M) survey results in a situation where they have to go home, they should be given facilities including gratuity as per the Supreme Court order. 'If the posts are cut, if the government brings a new policy, we are ready to support,' said Nepal, General Secretary of the Sangharsh Samiti, 'However, the government should make arrangements to give us appropriate gratuity in the event of being dismissed from their jobs.' 

The Supreme Court had issued a directive order on 9 Magh 2070 BS to the government to make appropriate arrangements, such as gratuity or compensation, when removing contract employees under the civil service.