Ashok Thapa

The government has failed even to give full shape to a high-level task force it proposed for fixing the minimum wage for tea workers and indentifying problems in the tea sector, despite instructions issued in this connection by Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal over a month ago.

Delay in implementation of the instructions has impacted tea workers demanding a wage hike in keeping with the remuneration of workers in other sectors. 

PM Khanal had directed formation of the taskforce during a meeting with the 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) --along with the employers and representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) on April 27.

The  meeting had also agreed to form the taskforce to be headed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) with representation from MoLTM, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), Ministry of Land Reform and Management (MoLRM), Home Ministry, employers and trade unions.

“Implementation of the instructions has been delayed by a month as I was formally asked by our ministry only four days back to lead the committee. We have initiated the process of giving the committee full shape soon. It will take the committee at least one month to formally begin its task,” said Dr. Hari Dahal, spokesperson at MoAC.

Officials at MoAC said that the ministry hasn´t yet received the names of representatives to the committee from the ministries concerned and the trade unions.

“Delay in implementation of the PM´s instructions is really a serious matter and would create problems in resolving the issue of wages in the tea production sector,” Purna Chandra Bhattarai, joint secretary at MoLTM, said.

Pashupathi Murarka, chairman of Employers´ Council at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), blamed the government for delaying resolution of problems in the tea sector.

“Though employers are committed to providing workers reasonable wages, the delay by the government may create misunderstanding between employers and workers,” he stated.

Bishnu Rimal, president of GEFONT, said that delay in execution of the PM´s instructions showed the government´s apathy in settling the wage dispute in the tea sector.

Tea estate workers had launched an indefinite strike from April 17, demanding that the government hike wages and ensure other benefits for them.