KATHMANDU: Speaker Devraj Ghimire has emphasized the need for cooperation among all stakeholders to promote dignified labor by ensuring social security, skill development, a technology-friendly environment, equal opportunities, and workers’ rights.
In a message issued on the occasion of International Labour Day (May 1), Speaker Ghimire extended his best wishes to all members of the working class, labor activists, trade unions, and others across Nepal.
He highlighted persistent challenges such as child labor, gender-based inequality in the workforce, lack of transparency in employment systems, and exploitation in foreign employment.
These issues, he said, call for stronger policies and more effective monitoring mechanisms.
Describing Labor Day as a symbol of solidarity and a collective effort toward building an inclusive, just, and labor-respecting society, Ghimire acknowledged that while legal frameworks exist to safeguard workers’ rights, implementation remains a significant hurdle.
“The Constitution of Nepal has enshrined workers’ rights based on principles of economic and social justice. Article 34 guarantees the ‘right to labor’, clearly outlining the state’s responsibility to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and social security,” he stated.
He further noted the vital contribution of workers in building a self-reliant, production-based economy, highlighting their roles across agriculture, construction, services, industry, tourism, and foreign employment.
Recalling the origins of Labor Day in the 1886 Chicago labor movement, he said the day serves as a global reminder of the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights and a dignified life.
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