Four Nepali trade unions have rejected the agreement on minimum wages. Issuing a press statement Nepal Inclusive Trade Union Federation (NITUF), Inclusive Democratic Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (IDFOTN), National Democratic Trade Union Federation (NDTUF) and Nepal Independent Democratic Trade Union Federation (NIDTUF) have said that they will not abide by the agreement as they are not the signatory to the agreement.

The agreement reflects the interests of a handful of people. “The proposed hike in salary and daily wages is not realistic,” it said. FNCCI and three major trade unions — Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC), General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) and All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF) — agreed to increase workers’ salary to Rs 6,100 on March 24.

They have hiked salary by Rs 1,550 and daily wage by Rs

36. We cannot accept the agreement until the minimum salary is hiked to Rs 10,000 and daily wages to Rs 450, they said. The trade unions have also rejected four-year industrial peace year plan. “No agreement can curtail workers’ rights to strike and collective bargaining,” it read.

Around 10 trade unions are active in the Nepali industrial sector and three trade unions associated with UCPNMaoist, Nepali Congress and CPN(UML) have major influence on workers.

Published on: 31 March 2011 | The Himalayan Times