The extended meeting of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) Gandaki Province was held in the GEFONT assembly hall Pokhara under the Presidency of province president Rudra Bahadur Khatri.

CPN UML Gandaki Province secretariat member and GEFONT Gandaki province in-charge Mina Gurung was the chief guest of the program,` 501 members election mobilization committee was formed under the presidency of Gandaki province President Rudra Bahadur Khatri to elect the  CPN UML candidates in the upcoming parliamentary and provincial polls scheduled for November 20.

 

Secretary of GEFONT Province Binu Gurung informed that the meeting decided to advance the campaign to increase 2 voters equal to 1 GEFONT member and secure 5 voters, mobilize GEFONT members in every booth and form an election mobilization committee by the municipality under GEFONT.

The gathering and training program of the GEFONT Bharatpur Metropolitan Municipality committee was held under the presidency of committee President Rudra Upreti in the hall of Bharatpur Cancer Hospital.

Chief Guest CPN UML Politburo member and Chitwan district in-charge Devi Gyawali said that there should be ensuring Social Security for all workers. Saying that only organized power can lead to change and she stated organizational expansion to the local level in order to expand the power of GEFONT.

 

Guest of the program party District President Ram Prasad Neupane said that "they should also be equally responsible for their duties while the workers are searching for their rights, and other trade unions should also learn from GEFONT." Vice president of NABUN Anju Gurung emphasized the need for worker registration through the labour desk at the local level and GEFONT Bagmati province member Shanti Subedi told about the rationale and importance of the program.

GEFONT Bagmati Province President Ramhari Nepal has trained about the policies and programs passed by the GEFONT 8th National Congress and Vice President Arjun Aryal has trained about trade unions and politics.

The program was conducted by the Secretary of GEFONT Bharatpur Metropolis Rajan Dhakal while Deputy Secretary Fullu Adhikari made a welcome remark. The gathering has formed a 351-member election mobilization committee under the coordination of Anju Gurung.

General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) has begun a campaign with the goal of getting 2 million workers to participate in the social security fund within the next four years. GEFONT has announced a target of 2 million (Mission 2 million).

Speaking as a Chief Guest CPN UML Deputy General Secretary Bishnu Rimal expressed his support on behalf of the party in the campaign of GEFONT on the occasion of the 5th Contribution Based Social Security Day program. He announced that all the workers in the formal sector and 75 percent of the workers in the informal sector would be enrolled in social security within the next 5 years. Rimal said, "100 percent of formal sectors workers and 75 percent of informal sector workers will come under social security." Social security fund has been registering only formal sector workers so far, preparing to include workers in the informal sector, self-employed and foreign employment in the Social Security Fund. It is expected to expand the scope of social security. Especially the workers in the informal and self-employed sectors have been demanding for a long time to contribute to the fund.

 

GEFONT Patron Rimal said that since it is a matter already protected by the social security law whether an employer does not want to register the workers working with him, such employers should be punished according to the law. Trade Union knows to use the force language saying that Rimal said but they are already protected by the social law and the rights available according to the law can be obtained only on the basis of rights. On the occasion, he recalled the action taken by the Social Security Fund against some banks and praised it. He held the view that GEFONT should intervene in the registration of workers across the country. Speaking on the occasion, former President of GEFONT Rimal expressed his happiness that the program has been implemented instantly saying that, once social security is like a heaven in the sky for former workers. GEFONT has made the bulkiest efforts to implement and effectively implement of Contribution Based Social Security Program in Nepal and a long campaign was conducted for this. GEFONT has played a role in bringing the important trade unions of Nepal to a common platform and raising collective voices to create an environment for social dialogue with employers.

Speaking on another context CPN UML Deputy General Secretary Rimal had committed that whether CPM UML take over the reins of the government the worker's minimum wages will be boosted to 25,000 per month within 5 years which is mentioned in the election manifesto. Deputy General Secretary Rimal said that even if the UML is out of the government, it will not remain silent and will continue to strive to increase the wages of the workers along with the labour movement. Prior to this, the KP Sharma Oli-led government had significantly increased the minimum wage of workers. The government of CPN, committed to increasing the minimum wage of workers by 5000 within five years, fulfilled that commitment. Before leading the government, the monthly minimum wage was 9,400, but the government led by KP Oli increased it twice to 15,000. If the CPN-UML forms a government under its leadership, it has promised to increase it by 60 percent to 25,000 per month within the next five years. In Nepal, there is a legal system to review the wages of workers every two years.

Speaking on the occasion, the executive director of the Social Security Fund, Kapilmani Gyawali, said that the facilities provided by the fund to the registered member workers are being gradually increased. He informed the couple that healthcare facilities, facilities provided in case of terminal illness, and other facilities have been recently included and some of them are in the process of being implemented in the near future. He said that while social security is available only for formal sector workers, millions of self-employed workers are deprived of it while working in the informal sector. The Fund has prepared a procedure and sent it to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security and expressed the hope that it will be released soon. In connection with Social Security Day, Labor Minister Sher Bahadur Kuwar has committed that the procedure will be issued within a week on an occasion organized by the fund in Kathmandu on Mangsir 11. This will open the door for working in the informal sector and for self-employed workers to be included in the scope of social security.

Speaking on the occasion, GEFONT President Binod Shrestha said that both the perpetual social security and contribution-based social security in Nepal were implemented by the CPN-UML-led government. He said that the monthly allowance program for senior citizens started by Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari's government has proved to be a fund for the program to provide social security. President Shrestha held the view that GEFONT from the beginning has taken the contribution-based security program as the economic, social protection and industrial peace of workers. "GEFONT has been raising the issue of Social Security as a major agenda in every congress of GEFONT", he said.

President Shrestha said that they have been conducting workplace-based campaigns from policy intervention to implement this. He also pointed out that there is a need for many reforms in the existing social Security System. He emphasized that the illusion created in a well-planned manner should be refuted by behaviour.

On the occasion, Budanilkantha municipality Deputy Mayor Anita Lama informed that there is an objection to the registration of the municipal workers. Lama expressed commitment that her municipality will work to present the data that so many workers have joined the social security fund within the next 6 months.

GEFONT Vice President Sita Lama made welcome remarks and WSM representative Bruno also addressed the program.

As of November 27, 2022, more than 17,500 employers and more than 375000 workers are registered in the Social Security Fund. More than 27 billion contribution amount has been collected from them. Similarly, the fund has paid 2.7 billion to 50,800 contributors and their families for various schemes so far. According to the fund, 317.8 million has been paid to the medical health and maternity protection scheme, 37.2 million to the accident and disability protection scheme, 5.9 million to the deceased contributors under the dependent family protection scheme and the remaining amount has been paid under the retirement scheme.

Similarly, the fund has started to provide the sum of money to be provided to the contributors according to the investment procedure from this year. It is said that the fund has provided about 400 million rupees to the contributors for this type of loan and grant.

Krishna Bahadur Budha has been unanimously elected as a General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) Banke district.  The gathering has formed a seven-member Banke District Committee under the presidency of  Budha held at the CPN-UML party office on 18 February.

The gathering was presided over by the GEFONT Banke district in-charge  Suman Giri Shrestha, and chief guest GEFONT Vice president Kamal Gautam said that GEFONT conducting the campaign to enrol all sector workers in contribution-based social security.

CPN UML central member and federal member of parliament, Honorable Deepa Sharma, emphasized to GEFONT should be more active in a leading role for the workers' rights.

Keshab Giri, member of GEFONT Lumbini province secretariat Purna Bahadur KC, and Anita Thapa were attendees at the gathering.

The president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) and Joint Trade Union Coordination Center (JTUCC) Binod Shrestha addressing the 111th General Assembly of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on June 29, acknowledge the ILO's crucial role in advancing social justice through dignified work, social protection, social dialogue and International labour standards.
 
As per the report of the Director General, President Shrestha stressed the importance of providing social security to all workers, citing the unfortunate exploitation of trainees who did not receive compensation for their labour, He also criticized the right-wing government for budget cuts affecting workers.

 

President Shrestha expressed that even though social security has been extended to informal, self-employed and sick workers abroad, the government has not paid attention to the implementation of the scheme and the saying that Supreme Court has ruled that the contribution-based Social Security system will be voluntary in the banks and the financial sectors and said that Nepalese trade unions are fighting for a social security system that covers all workers.

Similarly, President Shrestha urges cooperation between ILO and the Nepalese government to ensure social security and climate justice for all workers, as Nepal faces the impacts of global warming, affecting employment opportunities. He emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between rich and poor countries and work towards removing inequalities.

President Shrestha highlighted the importance of social dialogue for achieving social justice. He criticized the government for appointing fake union leaders as workers' representatives in various tripartite forums. This 30-year-long battle has led to a significant victory for labourers in the hotel, restaurant, catering, and tourism sectors, as the Supreme Court's decision resulted in a 10% reduction in service charges paid by these workers.

President Shrestha demands the government safeguard the rights of exploited Nepali migrant workers through bilateral agreements aligned with ILO principles. He urges immediate action to address their issues and opposes raising toll and ticket fees without strong trade union acceptance, emphasizing adherence to ILO principles.

President Shrestha supports the report of the ILO Director-General to advance social justice and calls for collaboration among the government, employers, and trade unions to protect the rights and interests of all workers and build a just society. He urges everyone to work together for a bright future for all labourers and the construction of a socially just society.

In the gathering and training program of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) Hetauda Sub Metropolitan committee on 20 September, Central member of CPN UML and Makwanpur in-charge Rameshwor Rana said that CPN UML is always on the side of the workers.

UML has arranged a Contribution Based Social Security Fund for the welfare of workers revealed that UML will also guarantee the Contribution-based Social Security Fund for all workers, he also requested that the entire strength of the workers should be mobilized to conquer UML in the upcoming election on November 20 for the establishment of social justice and public welfare.

In the Program, the workers should protect the party created by the workers saying that Party District President Ekalal Shrestha requested every worker to make a plan to increase 2 votes and protect 5 votes in order to conquer the UML in the upcoming election.

 

GEFONT Bagmati province former Vice President and party District committee member Arjun Dhungel and GEFONT former Deputy General Secretary expressed their greetings. GEFONT Bagmati Province President has trained about the policies and programs passed by the GEFONT 8th National Congress and Vice President Arjun Aryal has trained regarding trade unions and politics.

The gathering has also formed a 351-member labour sector election mobilization committee under the coordination of Arjun Dhungel.