Entrepreneurs urged to include the provisions to promote better relations between employers and workers.

Labour disputes is one of the major hindrances in the growth of industrial sector in the country, so new law should focus on better industrial relations, they said in an interaction organised by Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) here.

Employer Council of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has been working on the new Labour Act with support from International Labour Organisation (ILO) and trade unions. Trade unions have already submitted their draft to Ministry of Labour and Transport Management to revise Labour Act 1992. “We discussed pros and cons of proposed draft of Labour Act,” said president of the federation Bikashratna Dhakhwa. Most of entrepreneurs focus on better industrial relation, he added.

Labour expert Yatraman Shakya and another foreign expert have facilitated the interaction with examples from practices around the globe. Major trade unions associated with the Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (JTUCC) have started legal reform campaign one year ago and have submitted five draft laws to Ministry of Labour and Transport Management on November 20.

However, the ministry has not yet taken any effort to pass the laws from Legislative Parliament. “We have submitted five drafts to the ministry but nothing has happened,” said president of General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (Gefont) Bishnu Rimal. Trade unions have proposed revision in Labour Act 1992 and Trade Unions Act 1992 while three new laws – Labour Commission Act, Unemployed Insurance Act and Social Security Organisation Act – have been drafted.

According to trade unions, all the five laws are associated with each other to build better industrial environment in the country. “Without social security we cannot think of better industrial relations,” Rimal said, adding that they have given emphasis on unemployment insurance and social security too.

The concept of powerful labour commission envisioned to promote labour market and settle industrial disputes in mutual understanding has been stressed.

Published on: 24 December 2011 | The Himalayan Times