Pity The Workers: International Trade Union Confederation(ITUC) Needs To Do More For Nepali Migrant Workers

1. Kathmandu
Nepal
http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-12-27/pity-the-workers.html
Dec 27, 2015- Tek Bahadur Gurung mayno longer be Nepal’s
labour minister, but he has left behind a legacy with his ‘zero-
cost migrationpolicy’, perhaps, for the wrong reasons. All that
minister Gurung had todo wasconsult with all the concerned
stakeholders—manpower agencies, tradeunionsand foreign
hiring companiesamong others—beforemaking themigration
policy public, but he seemed to be in a hurry, with just three
monthsleft in office.
As per the new migrationpolicy, migrant workersfrom Nepal
will no longer be required tobear the stinging cost of airfare
and visa processing fees, but thereare wider implications. It
will, among other things, enable countrieslike Bangladesh to
seize Nepal’s quota of employment opportunitiesinMalaysia
and the Gulf region. As a result, over 30 percent of Nepali
workers will be jobless. The minister, though, did not find this

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alarming.
Kumud Khanal, vice-president ofthe NepalAssociationof
ForeignEmployment Agencies(NAFEA), was direct and precise
on thismatter: “WhenTekBahadur got the news of his
ministership, hetransferred thesharesof his manpower
companiesinhis son and other relatives’name. Soon after, he
entered into a deal with an Americancompany, Flextronics, for
manpower supply. He even managed to extracta sweet deal—
free visa and ticketsfor his workers—and it wasall done
underhand through one of his Bangladeshi agents, named
Amin. It is suspected that it was only after experiencing the
benefitsof the zero cost policythat he introduced thepolicyin
the country.” He added, “A few monthsback, he lambasted the
Gulf countriesfor poor treatment oflabourersbecauseit served
his interests. He hardly spoke on the subject prior tothat
becauseearlier he was reaping benefits.’’
http://ngowatchdog.org/pity-the-workers-international-
trade-union-confederationituc-needs-to-do-more-for-nepali-
migrant-workers/
Becausethe issue is related to the well-being of the workers, the
role of the InternationalTradeUnionConfederation(IUTC)
becomesrelevant. It is a different matter, though, that the
Brussels-based InternationalTradeUnion Confederationhas
maintaineddeafening silence, even after threeNepali trade
unions are affiliated toit and theNepali workers, from whose
pocketsannual contributiongoesto the globalbody, suffer.
“The local affiliatespayhuge sumsof money every year, but
nothing comes backtothem. We arespeaking with local union
leaders to demand morefrom ITUC and if they continue to
show ignorance, we will even lodge a formal complaint with the
InternationalLabour Organisation. Making sympathetic
statementson theplight of Nepali workers, from thousandsof
miles awaydoes not help. Least developed countrieslike ours

3. Page 03
should not be exploited,” said Khanal.
Pushkar Acharya, Member ofParliamentfrom the Nepali
Congress and a tradeunionveteran, believes it may not be
completely true. When pressed on the specific issue of whether
the benefitsreach the workers at the ground level, MP Pushkar
Acharya did concedefailureon the part of ITUC. “I must admit
that the workersare not reaping anybenefitsout of our
associationwith theconfederation.”
Khilanath Dahal, president of the ITUC-affiliate, NepalTrade
Union Congress, was cautiousinhis opinionon the Brussels-
based body: “They send solidaritymessagesfrom timeto time,
but we need morethan that.”
Nepalhas finally received a constitution, a new lady president,
primeminister and labour minister. But the lives of the Nepali
migrant workersremainthesame. Will workers get a fresh lease
of life? Only timewill tell.
AUTHOR: Koirala is associated with Nepali Congress
http://bit.ly/22thXXV