The government is set to sign labour agreements with six emerging labour destinations— Malaysia, Kuwait, Israel, Oman, Jordon and Lebanon. While labour pacts with Malaysia, Kuwait, Lebanon and Israel are in progress, the government is working on an initial draft to that effect with Jordon and Oman.

Various government bodies, including the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nepal’s missions abroad, have been snowed under with work at the moment. MoLE officials say agreements with Malaysia and Kuwait are likely to be signed first. Pacts with the other countries will depend on their responses.

“Since an agreement is an issue concerning the two governments it might take some time,” said Buddhi Bahadur Khadka, MoLE spokesperson.       

Thousands of Nepali migrant workers enter the six countries every year in search of jobs. In absence of a formal accord at the state level, a raft of Nepali migrant workers has been deprived of minimum rights, including their safety, wages and welfare.

During a recent visit of a Nepali delegation to Malaysia, officials of the two countries had consented to replace the old agreement with a new one. Nepal had signed a labour accord with Malaysia in 2007 and it has not been renewed so far.

Officials say the government, on its part, has already sent initial drafts to respective countries. Though the government started working on procedures some months ago, internal preparations have delayed the overall process. 

“The government has already started doing the needful. It will still take some time,” said Purna Chandra Bhattrai, director general of the Department of Foreign Employment. 

Stating that the number of overseas job seekers has increased significantly over the years, Bhattrai said that the government decision was driven by an urgency to guarantee safe migration.

MoLE officials say labour contracts will oblige the recipient countries to safeguard the rights of workers. Since most of the Nepali workers are unskilled, it’s increasingly difficult to ensure their minimum wages, welfare and security. Once labour agreements are signed, the host nations will be lawfully forced to promote safe migration.

Malaysia is the second biggest labour destination for Nepali workers with an estimated 500,000 currently at work there. A recent government record shows that 55,343 workers are currently working in Kuwait. As majority of workers enter Lebanon, Oman and Jordan through illegal channels, the government is clueless about the exact number of Nepalis working there. Some unconfirmed records claim that the actual number of Nepalis in the three countries has reached 150,000.

Published on: 5 November 2012 | The Kathmandu Post