Milestone of Nepali Trade Union Movement
Chronology of Major Events in the Labour Sector
| 1989 | July 20 | GEFONT established |
| 1990 | February | Participation in Pro-democracy movement |
| 1991 | May | NTUC established |
| May 26 | First Labour Advisory Committee formed and GEFONT represented | |
| June | First National workshop on women workers & Trade Union Movement | |
| Aug | Minimum wages declared after restoration of Democracy | |
| 1992 | March | GEFONT first National congress convened. |
| May | CWWD formed | |
| Labour Act 1992 enacted | ||
| Child Labour Act 1992 enact | ||
| November | Bonus Act 1973 fourth amendment | |
| Trade Union Act 1992 enacted | ||
| 1993 | January | Transport and Vehicles Management Act 1993 enacted |
| June | Foreign Employment Act 1985 first amendment | |
| August | Transport and Vehicles Management Act 1993 first amendment | |
| November | Tea Plantation Workers Regulation 1993 enacted | |
| Labour Regulation 1993 enacted | ||
| Trade Union Regulation 1993 enacted | ||
| 1994 | February | Review of Minimum Wages (Increased NRs. 300/- as allowances) |
| June | Industrial Relation forum established within FNCCI with the support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation | |
| Emergency Fund Scheme started by GEFONT | ||
| December | International Trade union conference hosted by GEFONT | |
| 1995 | January | Child Labour Protection & Promotion Act 1995 enacted |
| February | Working Journalist Act 1995 enacted | |
| Nepal government announced public holiday on 8th March women's day) for government & public corporations | ||
| March | Nepal government ratified ILO convention No 144 on Tripartism. | |
| May | GEFONT registered as a first Confederation of Nepali Trade Union | |
| 1996 | September | NationalLabourAcademy (NLA) established |
| November | Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Nepal Office established | |
| Child Welfare Committee formed | ||
| 1997 | January | Labour Court Operation Regulation 1997 enacted |
| Labour Court established | ||
| February | NTUC registered as a second National con federation | |
| March | GEFONT 2nd National congress convened | |
| April | A rift emerged in NTUC, DECONT formed | |
| August | DECONT registered as a third confederation | |
| October | Nepal government ratified ILO convention No 98 on freedom of organisation and collective bargaining | |
| Nepal government ratified ILO convention No 138 on child labour | ||
| November | First National Labour Conference. | |
| December | Working Journalist Regulation enacted | |
| 1998 | March | National Labour Advisory Committee formed according to Labour Act 1992 |
| Minimum Wage Board formed | ||
| June | Transport and Vehicle Management Regulation1998 enacted | |
| September | Review of minimum wages | |
| 1999 | January | First amendment of Labour act 1992 |
| Second amendment of Foreign Employment Act 1985 | ||
| April | First amendment of Trade Union Act 1993; provision included for unionisation of agricultural workers | |
| July | GEFONT ocelebrates10th anniversary | |
| December | National Labour Policy formulated | |
| 2000 | January | Minimum wages fixed for Agriculture labourers |
| February | Bonus Regulation enacted (with amendment) | |
| National Welfare Fund formed | ||
| April | Reviewed Minimum Wages | |
| May | Inauguration of GEFONT Health Co-operatives | |
| Inauguration of GEFONT central office, Man Mohan Labour Building | ||
| GEFONT Third National Congress convened | ||
| July | Declaration of Kamaiya freedom | |
| Minimum wage revised (NRs. 316 added) | ||
| November | TUC-GEP formed | |
| December | Hotel Workers strike | |
| 2001 | March | Essential Services Act imposed on 11 areas of work |
| September | Malaysia formally welcomes Nepali migrant workers | |
| November | CLAC reformulated | |
| Govt. declares privatization of 4 PEs & puts 20 in Pipeline | ||
| December | Nepal celebrates its 35 years in ILO | |
| GEFONT & NLA launch labournepal.org | ||
| 2002 | January | Nepal Ratify ILO Conventions No. 29 & 182 |
| February | Kamaiya Labour (prohibiton) Act declare | |
| December | Tripartite declaration for Promotion to gender equality | |
| Consensus of trade unions on common priority Agenda for 2003 | ||
| 2003 | February | First National Congress of DECONT |
| March | Third National Congress of NTUC | |
| South Asian Women Trade Unionist Conference | ||
| May | Joint Celebration of May day by GEFONT & NTUC | |
| June | GEFONT Organised National Women workers Conference | |
| August | Minimum wage revised | |
| September | Minimum wage for tea plantation revised | |
| November | GEFONT and other 2 recognised Trade Union Centres proposed detail view on 7-point agendas for labour law reform during bipartite social dialogue with FNCCI | |
| 2004 | May | GEFONT organises 4th National Congress |
| September | Violence sparks in Kathmandu after annihilation of 12 Nepalis in Iraq; vandalised more than 300 Manpower Company | |
| Trade Unions along with employers opposed Maoist call for closure of 5 dozen industries & enterprises | ||
| 2005 | January | 2nd National Labour conference held |
| March | Unions jointly organised 8th March | |
| May | Trade unions and professionals jointly Celebrated May Day with grand mass show | |
| July | Trade Unions and professionals jointly convened National Seminar on Poverty; declares organising committee for wider trade union Conference | |
| September (10-12) | 1st Wider Trade union Conference organised by GEFONT, NTUC, DECONT and TUN; Conference was participated by almost all units of labour movement | |
| Govt propose ordinance to amend labour law, unions oppose it- employers ask for consensus | ||
| Sept 30/Oct 1 | Nationwide protest programme to oppose labour ordinance | |
| 2006 | April | Whole Month Dedicated to Loktantrik movement; which converted into famous April Uprising. The people's revolt sidelined autocratic monarch and handed over all power to the resisted parliament |
| May (11) | The reinstated Parliament allows civil servants to join trade union | |
| May (15) | New Govt. annuls Labour Ordinance finally after strong opposition by the trade unions. On May 10 GEFONT, NTUC and DECONT together with Professional organisation CoNEP had issued a 72- hour ultimatum demanding immediate annulment of Labour Ordinance, Civil Service Ordinance and Essential Service Operation Act 2014 | |
| May (24) | Trade Unions Team Met Prime Minister Koirala and requested to formulate law Single Union and congratulated him for landmark HoR Proclamation | |
| June (8) | GEFONT representative addressed the 95th International Labour Conference in Geneva and underlined heroic sacrifice of Nepali workers for the Loktantra, freedom and equitable society. | |
| July (13) | GEFONT along with all three recognised Trade Union Confederations submitted suggestion to Interim Constitution Drafting Committee | |
| August (12) | Trade unions and FNCCI made a toughest wage negotiation; Minimum wage increased by 28.89 per cent in monthly wage and 39.9 per cent in daily wage across the board | |
| August (13) | Tea garden workers to go on strike; after 14 days it was called off increasing the minimum wage | |
| September (18) | Health workers call off strike after reaching an agreement; they had launched an indefinite strike on Sept 9 | |
| October (10) | Maoist union- ANFTU cadres attacked GEFONT unionists, over dozen injured | |
| November (01) | GEFONT, UC and DECONT join International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) formed in November 1-3 in Vienna | |
| Nov (13) | Surya Nepal awards adhoc increment to protesting workers; the managers were captive by unions since Nov 11 | |
| December (02) | A ten-point declaration signed by four confederations of trade unions- GEFONT, NTUC, DECONT and ANFTU | |
| December (30) | Doctors call off strike after receiving additional security; they were in strike since 3 days | |
| December (31) | Hotel unions win 10 percent service charge; after 25 year union campaign Hoteliers agree to 10% service charge in Hotel industry, it has been benefiting 200,000 workers | |
| 2007 | January (15) | Interim Constitution declared, provision of workers right incorporated as the fundamental rights, Provision of Labour Commission included |
| Balaju Industrial Estate closed ; Strike by transporters in Eastern Nepal ; Green house of Dabur Nepal in Banepa closed due to ANFTU demands | ||
| February | Interim Legislator parliament constitutes 21-member parliamentary committee on labour & Industrial relation to deal labour issue | |
| March (7) | Government Declared 8th March a paid-leave to entire working women in Nepal | |
| March (12) | MOU signed between GEFONT's affiliates and MTUC's affiliates to cooperate the Nepali Migrant in Malaysia | |
| March (16) | GEFONT-NTUC signs Memorandum of Understanding for single union formation | |
| Strike by the transporters against political strike by Madeshi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF); trade unions too criticized MJF strike | ||
| April (11) | GEFONT along with other three trade union centres met all ruling parties and demand to insert a provision of compulsory workers' representation in Constituent Assembly | |
| April (30) | Government Sets new wage rate to Agricultural workers | |
| May (24) | Trade unions call-on Prime Minister and ask to repeal Essential Services Act | |
| May (24) | Mt.Everest for the first time by its members, the summiteers welcome in Kathmandu at 30th | |
| June (23) | National Development Forum begins excluding Trade union representatives; Unions condemn NPC | |
| June | CM Jute Mill in Morang closed, affecting 800 workers, after threats and intimidation from Maoist Trade Union, YCL and Terai Madhesi Mukti Moracha. | |
| August (7) | Major Trade Union Centres have finalised their Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for Constituent Assembly election | |
| August | Working Journalist Act amended, provides trade union rights to the working journalist | |
| August | New Foreign Employment Act adopted by the legislator parliament | |
| August | Labor dispute in Kantipur Publication | |
| August | ANFTU threatens its closure; Three tea estates in Eastern Nepal (Gurans Tea, Kuwabashi Tea and Joon Tea Garden) captured by Maoist trade union as management did not fulfilled their demands for wage hike, permanent status and medical facilities | |
| August | Labor dispute erupted in HBC FM after management sacked picketing employees and journalists | |
| September (4-6) | ITUC-AP Founding Conference Concludes, GEFONT elected in Regional General Council | |
| September (28) | All ITUC affiliates in Nepal protest Burmese Junta, extend solidarity to the moment for Democracy | |
| September | Labor disputes in UTL, Maoist union picketed the company for the reinstatement of 180 unskilled workers | |
| September | Dabur Nepal closed by Maoist union affecting 700 workers | |
| November (30) | All trade unions hold a national meeting to discuss labour market reform and formation of National Labour Commission | |
| December (6) | Civil Service regulation adopted, Government employees legally got trade union rights as declared by reinstated parliament | |
| 2008 | January | Pokhara Industrial Estate closed after clashes between GEFONT and ANFTU members |
| 42 hotels in Nagarkot closed due to demands by the Maoist union for minimum wage increase, annual leaves, and gratuity | ||
| Himalaya Snacks and Noodles closed by Maoist union after management terminated the jobs of 138 workers. The company employs 215 workers. | ||
| February | Employee strike in UTL by union affiliated with NTUC after the company decided to outsource its workforce. | |
| August | Labor dispute erupted in Bara district after two GEFNOT members, picketing Narayani Rolling Mills, were shot dead by the police. | |
| September | Butawal Textile closed due to dispute over workers remuneration and shortages of raw materials, affecting 400 workers | |
| Bottlers Nepal closed due to dispute over the distribution of bonus to the workers | ||
| November-December | Manakamana Cable Co. closed by the union belonging to Maoists over the issue of giving permanent status to 27 security workers deployed through labor contractor. | |
| Bir Hospital closed by the staff demanding the resignation of the VC and demand for permanent status for the employees. | ||
| Minimum wage dispute flares up: 40 industries in Hetauda Industrial District closed affecting 3700 workers; hotels in Nagarkot closed; 70 industries in Bara-Parsa districts; jute mill workers in Morang blocked the highway affecting 500 factories in Morang-Sunsari industrial corridor. | ||
| 2009 | January | Bhrikuti Paper and Pulp Factory closed after Maoist union demanded for increase in minimum wages. |
| Restaurants and hotels closed in Pokhara over minimum wage dispute. | ||
| Hetuada Cement Industry closed over dispute with 116 contract workers seeking permanent status. | ||
| April (2-3) | NTUC-I 4th Unity Congress held | |
| April (4-7) | GEFONT 5th National Congress held | |
| April 30 | GEFONT Leadership Handover to newly elected team |
