KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has held consultations with employers and private sector representatives on proposed amendments to the Labour Act, 2017 (2074 BS).
During the meeting on Thursday, Minister for Youth, Labour and Employment Ramji Yadav discussed revisions to the Labour Act, skills development training and measures to improve employment opportunities with representatives of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and other private sector organisations.
Yadav said the private sector accounts for more than 80 percent of employment generation and makes a significant contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), stressing that the government cannot function effectively without its participation.
He said the ministry aims to finalise a draft of the amended Labour Act within 35 days through broad-based consultations to ensure broad ownership of the legislation.
The minister also stressed the need for demand-driven skills training linked to guaranteed employment. He said the ministry is preparing a new mechanism under which training programmes will be tied to job placement rather than focusing solely on skills development.
Yadav further said the process for determining the minimum wage, which has so far been based on consensus among the government, employers and workers, would be made more scientific and objective.
During the discussion, FNCCI President Anjan Shrestha said the private sector had often been treated merely as a “witness” during the formulation and revision of laws and policies in the past.
He urged the government to allow adequate time for the private sector to study proposed amendments and called for detailed consultations before finalising the draft through mutual agreement between all stakeholders.
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