Ashok Thapa

The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday issued a stay order on the implementation of government-announced wage package for industrial workers. 

The division bench of Justice Prem Sharma and Tarka Raj Bhatta gave an interim order to stop the delivery of salary and wages until the final decision.

Eight different industrial firms based in Birgunj, Biratnagar and Lumbini had filed a writ petition on July 3 and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) on July 4 before the SC, claiming that the government-announced wage package is faulty and should be scrapped.

An MoLTM official said “We respect the court verdict but we will formally hold a meeting to determine our next move."

Pashupati Murarka, chairman of Employer´s Council (EC) at FNCCI, said that the stay order vindicates employers´ stand in the matter. He expressed his belief that court would give its final decision in favor of the employers and the industrialists, who are not in a position to pay the government announced wage packgae.

Lal Dhoj Nembang, coordinator of ANTUF- Revolutionary however claimed that the decision of the court won´t make any difference as the government-announced wage package has already been implemented. “If again any changes are made in the package, we will launch a fresh round of protests,” he warned.

Bishnu Rimal, chairman of GEFONT, said that the court´s decision should be obeyed by all parties concerned. “It is the responsibility of the government to come up with another provision and we will discuss with it,” he added.

In a move to resolve the wage differences between the agreements that FNCCI made with three major trade unions -- All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) and  Nepal Trade Union Congress-Independent (NTUC-I) -- and subsequently announced agreement between the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) and eight Madhesh-based trade unions, the government had enforced MoLTM-announced wage package and published it in Nepal Gazette on May 23.

Published on: 4 July 2011 | Republica