KATHMANDU: Nepal and the United Kingdom have agreed to prepare a draft of labor agreement within a week.
According to the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, during the first round of talks between the two countries on Friday, both countries agreed to draft a memorandum of understanding within a week.
The government, which has been in search of new employment destinations, had urged the UK to maintain labor relations with Nepal on the basis of employment, wages and service facilities.
During talks between representatives of the UK’s Department of Health Services and the National Health Service and the representatives of the Government of Nepal, both parties agreed to send workers (nurses) from Nepal.
The virtual meeting was attended by Rajiv Pokhrel, Chief of Employment Management Division under the Ministry of Labor, Thaneshwar Bhusal, Deputy Secretary, Department of Foreign Employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Law and representatives of the Medical Education Commission. The UK was represented by representatives from the Department of Health and National Health as well as the British Embassy in Kathmandu.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources, the British Government will provide assistance to increase the capacity of the Nursing College in Nepal and will also help in the production of nurses in Nepal by providing scholarships. Nepal has proposed a five-year employment agreement. Nurses going to the UK for employment do not have to pay any fees.
The selected nurses will have to pass an examination conducted by the UK Health Council after going to the UK. However, employment as an assistant nurse will be ensured even before the examination. The modality of taking Nepali workers is yet to be decided.
The UK has announced plans to recruit 100,000 health workers from the South Asian region. The UK is preparing to take around 10,000 nursing manpower from Nepal. According to the Nepal Nursing Association, 66,000 nurses have been produced in Nepal so far. 25,000 of them are abroad. According to the association, 9,000 nurses are in government service. Few more are working in private hospitals.
Aiming to diversify foreign employment, the government is looking for attractive destinations.
Earlier, Nepal had signed agreements with Japan, Israel, Mauritius and other countries to send workers of specialized capacity.
Comment