General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions

GEFONT collectively issue a May Day Declaration

Posted On - 30/04/2006

April 29- On the eve of May Day, GEFONT along with other 2 trade unions and a professional forum collectively issued a May Day Declaration today. Full text of the Declaration which was delivered in a meet the press programme is as follows:

On the eve of the May First Day today, our country Nepal is at a departure point for overall change as the outcome of people’s flow of Historical Popular movement. Incomparable uprising of the entire people has pushed Absolute monarchy into isolation like a human-less island. The palace had tried at its extreme to suppress the the popular movement & general strike called by 7-Party Alliance for restoration of full-fledged democracy, but the peaceful resistance by the people with loss of life and with extreme tolerance of baton charge, bullets, tear gas could overcome the regime through determined voice for change. Millions came into the streets all over the nation excluding a handful of feudal lords. Finally the high ambitious king had to accept the power of the people and the people grabbed the victory.

The nation has now taken the track of people’s sovereignty and establishment of full-fledged democracy. Dozens of new doors of bright possibilities have been opened. We salute and pay heartfelt tributes to the martyrs of this great popular movement, to the martyrs of all previous movements and to the martyrs of Great workers movement of Chicago. On the occasion of May first day, we extend our best wishes for the fast health recovery of the warriors of the present historical movement who are injured by the barbaric suppression.

This popular movement has been a living example of maximum participation and heavy struggle of working class. Pushing aside even the daily hand to mouth problem, workers with full determination jammed everything to compel the regime to surrender. Ignoring the arrests, baton charge and bullets of the regime, workers from civil service, public enterprises, banks, education, health, technical occupations, industries, manufacturing, hotel-tourism, transport, agriculture, construction  etc. stopped work and poured into the street creating new records of unity and consciousness. We express thankfulness to the workers and working class of Nepal. We also extend our sincere thanks on behalf of the workers movement to all classes & segments of the people including various groups of civil society and intellectuals. We appreciate the support of business class and employers to this movement which was never witnessed before.

We are grateful to international community for strong solidarity with high appreciation of public opinion of the world which created pressure on autocratic regime. We extend special thanks to the ICFTU & WCL, GUFs, ILO, labour support networks and national trade unio centres of various countries.

The Lokatantra achieved through continued movement and sacrifice, is to be institutionalized and to be strengthened so that no palace or any rulers of dictatorial ambitions could snatch off from the people. A situation where Nepali people will not have to fight again for sovereignty is to be ensured. Violent conflict is to be put to an end and armed CPN-Maoist is to be led towards peaceful mainstream politics. Reconstruction of the country is to be done in a long journey of inclusive democracy. Poverty is to be alleviated and prosperity to be ensured under the access of each & every Nepali doors as fast as possible. Freedom, equality, prosperity, peace and joy are to be ensured to the share of each Nepali. In this long journey of nation and the people, the historical event of restoration of dissolved parliament is a departure point. Moving ahead from this point, exit door for the fruitful journey of the nation towards development & prosperity is to be opened through the constituent assembly.

In this process, our role is inevitable to change the policies of the state and to ensure the share of workers in the programmes & budgets of the state. The role, active participation and sacrifice of workers & trade unions has been highly significant in the fight for rights and democracy. Now the fight against poverty and for equality & prosperity is to be launched ahead more effectively.

We will have to play a creative & pressurising role for the fulfilment of demands of the workers mentioned in the national charter of demand jointly tabled by us in February 2006. We request for immediate steps from the new lokatantrik government for minimum wage increase and development of integrated social protection system. It is evident that the anti-labour ordinance imposed by the autocratic regime will be cancelled by the new government however we will be active to ensure that the anti-labour provisions of the ordinance may not come again in new forms. As collectively committed by the seven party alliance which led the historical popular movement, we are convinced that trade union rights will be ensured to all workers including civil service employees & professionals.

 The road is now open for pro-worker changes, but to go ahead effectively on the road with achievements, we express our commitment once again for trade union unity and single union campaign. On the occasion of the May-Day, we call for more expansion and intensification of collaboration among trade union centres and professional organizations.

We feel it as a long-run responsibility to work for – how we can ensure dignity & prosperous life to the workers who are the backbones of political-social-economic life of the country and builders of the nation. Similarly we feel it necessary to work – how we can enlarge the role of trade unions, labour support organizations and professional organizations more effective and more intensified. On the eve of the May Day, we express our commitment for a joint go-ahead and to concentrate ourselves on fruitful transformation of dreams & probabilities in practice and not to kill time just in the review of past. From the present moments, where the nation is standing at a turning point of the history with defeat of feudalism and beginning of modern Nepal, we extend our best wishes to the working masses to make this year a milestone year of successes and achievements.

Issued by: GEFONT/ NTUC/DECONT/CoNEP
Issued Date: April 29, 2006