Kathmandu: Minister for Youths, Labour and Employment Ramji Yadav has said that the government is committed to making Nepal’s domestic labour sector safe, systematic and dignified. Speaking at a meeting of the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the House of Representatives, Minister Yadav said many issues faced by workers could be addressed through amendments to the existing Labour Act.

The meeting also discussed the management of workers through outsourcing in both the public and private sectors. Committee Chairperson Rahabar Ansari said the committee was committed to protecting workers’ rights and ending irregularities in labour outsourcing. He expressed concern over the practice of using the Procurement Act as a means to outsource workers and undermine their rights. Ansari stressed that no institution should be allowed to escape its responsibility towards workers simply in the name of outsourcing. Lawmaker Kshitij Thebe proposed that the committee visit Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and other countries to monitor the condition of Nepali domestic workers. He said direct monitoring would help identify the problems faced by workers and make it easier to find solutions.

Similarly, lawmaker Ranju Neupane called for an end to labour exploitation in outsourcing companies. She suggested forming an expert committee to collect data and prepare a study report as well as drafting a new Labour Act with workers’ rights at its centre. Lawmaker Som Sharma stressed the need for worker-friendly policies and laws and called for greater accountability from companies.Other lawmakers, including Martika Prasad Yadav, Buddhi Prasad Panta, Arvinda Sah, Kali Bahadur Sahakari and Srijana Shrestha, also voiced their support for stronger protection of workers’ rights.

Published Time: 19:43 PM