Govt pledges safe and dignified domestic labour sector, says Minister Yadav

KATHMANDU: Minister for Youth, Labour and Employment, Ramjee Yadav, has stated that the government remains committed to making the domestic labour sector safe, systematic and dignified.

Addressing a meeting of the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Minister Yadav expressed confidence that amending the existing Labour Act would resolve numerous issues facing workers.

During the session, discussions focused on the management of workers employed through outsourcing. Committee Chairperson Rahbar Ansari expressed serious concern over the ongoing trend of outsourcing labour and stripping workers' rights through the Procurement Act in both the public and private sectors. He stated that no entity could escape its responsibility towards workers under the guise of labour outsourcing, adding that the committee is sensitive to workers' rights and aims to end anomalies in the outsourcing system.

Lawmaker Kshitij Thebe proposed that the committee visit nations including Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to monitor the situation of Nepali domestic workers, which he noted were vulnerable. Direct monitoring, he pointed out, would assist in identifying problems and finding suitable solutions.

Calling for an end to exploitation by outsourcing companies, lawmaker Ranju Neupane recommended forming an expert committee. This committee would collect data and prepare a study report to assist in drafting a Labour Act focused primarily on protecting workers' rights.

Additionally, lawmaker Som Sharma emphasised the need for policies that formulate laws benefiting workers while holding companies accountable. Lawmakers Matrika Prasad Yadav, Budhi Prasad Pant, Arvind Sah, Kali Bahadur Sahakari and Sirjana Shrestha also expressed their support for safeguarding workers' rights.

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