On 11 Mangsir 2081, the Nepal Trade Union Federation (GEFONT) celebrated the seventh Social Security Day across the country with the slogan: “Prosperous Nepal is the basis of happy Nepalis, the right of workers in all sectors to social security.”

Honorable Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the chief guest of the meeting organized by GEFONT Central Office at the auditorium in Kathmandu, congratulated and wished all the workers at home and abroad. He said that the history of the trade union movement is older than the politics of Nepal and that GEFONT is the continuation of the Nepal Trade Union Movement established in 2003 BS.

Expressing his best wishes and congratulations to GEFONT and its workers for working as a model for the working class of Nepal by continuously working for the establishment of the Social Security Fund, Prime Minister Oli said that the contribution-based social security, which was established as a policy on Mangsir 11, 2075 BS, will now provide additional facilities to the families of workers.

While clarifying that he is working in a new way to ensure equitable distribution for prosperity in the coming year, Prime Minister Oli said that since new changes need to be brought at this time, he will give them a sense of change without passing the burden of change on to future generations. He expressed confidence that this system, which was started from the beginning of contribution-based social security on Mangsir 11 when he was the first Prime Minister, will be completely successful and move forward.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Honorable Bishnu Poudel, said that the CPN-UML has led the campaign to advance the concept of social security in Nepal, implement it practically and establish it, and said that the use of contribution-based social security has made Nepali workers excited and confident about the future.

He expressed his commitment to take the initiative to creatively develop the problems that have arisen in its implementation, as many workers are yet to be included in the scope of contribution-based social security.

He said that the Nepal Trade Union Federation (GEFONT) is not only the most powerful trade union federation in Nepal but also has a tremendous influence in the global trade union movement, and he is proud of the leadership of GEFONT.

The program’s chairman, GEFONT President Binod Shrestha, extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to everyone on the occasion of Social Security Day, which was implemented on November 11, 2075 BS, as a result of the nearly 3-decade-long and continuous movement of Nepali trade unions, with the agreement of employers and workers. He thanked the Honorable Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for starting a new era. He said that the 8th General Conference of GEFONT had set a target of connecting 2 million workers to the fund in 4 years, and 1.794 million workers have been affiliated in about two and a half years, and now GEFONT will work to continue the contribution of those workers.

Among the workers affiliated to the fund, 585 workers are currently receiving regular pensions, while the remaining three families are receiving monthly pension benefits ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 157,000. Chairman Shrestha stressed that since a large number of the members affiliated to the fund are foreign-employed workers, there is a problem in regular contributions, so a solution should be found soon.
GEFONT Chairman Shrestha said that for the registration of informal and self-employed workers, labor registration should be done at the local level and expressed confidence that outsourced workers working in government offices would be listed in the fund during the tenure of the Honorable Prime Minister. He stressed that the inclusion of representatives of fake trade unions in the board of the fund, ignoring the representatives of the official trade union federation, should be corrected immediately.

The program was hosted by Laxman Sharma, General Secretary of the Federation, and Balaram Adhikari, Minister for Land Management and Cooperatives, and Jyotsana Shakya, President of the FNCCI Employers’ Council, expressed their best wishes for the success of the program.

The chairmen of Phedikhola, Bansgadhi, Belbari, Bhimphedi, and Sundar Haraincha, who had registered workers from the local level and contributed to the Social Security Fund, were honored by the Honorable Prime Minister on behalf of GEFONT. The Antara group also presented a cultural program.
 

Click on the link below for all the photos from the event.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.122129437604435116&type=3