KATHMANDU: The Council affiliated to the International Trade Union Federation has called for including workers in the informal and self-employed sectors in the ambit of social security.
In a joint statement, the three large trade unions of the country – General Federation of Trade Unions, Nepal Trade Union Congress and All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF) – have drawn the attention of the government to revise the Social Security plan Work Procedure to guarantee social security to the workers engaged in the unorganized and self-employed sectors.
Although workers in the organized sector have social security protection in accordance with the labor laws, the laborers in the informal and self-employment sectors are not covered by the social security protection; hence, the social security plan has not become the attraction to the entire workers.
Likewise, the Council has also urged the government to launch the Unemployed Insurance Plan at the earliest as per the Social Security Act and based on contribution for protection of employment of workers.
The government is also urged to reform the health and medical treatment facilities so as also to incorporate the contributor’s dependent family.
Calling for making provision so that the amount more than that determined voluntarily can be deposited in the Social Security Fund in the form of gratuity or retirement fund, the Council urged the government to revise the laws that are not in consonance with the Contribution Based Social Security Act for managing the provident fund and the gratuity.
Council and GEFONT President Binod Shrestha said in an online press conference organized on Wednesday on the occasion of the Third Social Security Day that the government should bring program encouraging the workers by removing the shortcomings seen in the main social security plan.
He said the low participation of the employers in the social security program despite two years of its declaration proved that the employers were insincere towards the workers.
As of Wednesday, 12 thousand 915 employers and 179 thousand 791 contributors have been enlisted in the social security program.
“On the basis of listing and the situation of contribution, the leadership of the employers’ organizations participating in the policy and plan related to the program also not enlisting their firms and industries proves that the employers are not honest,” Shrestha said, adding that although the government implemented the program with the consent of the labor organizations and employers organizations, neither the government became serious nor the employers became sincere in its implementation. RSS
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