The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged Nepal to ratify the newly adopted convention on domestic workers and make necessary laws to implement it. The ILO said that since Nepal had a huge number of such workers within and outside the country as migrant workers, ratification of the convention would protect their rights. In June 2011, Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers was adopted at the ILO’s 100th session in Geneva, Switzerland and Nepal had voted for the convention. The convention, termed an “historic agreement” to ensure the rights of domestic workers, provides legal protection, gives respect to what they do and also helps improve their lives as they normally belong to poor families.

“As Nepal has a large number of domestic workers employed within and outside the country, I request the Nepal government to ratify this convention,” said Dan Cunniah, director of Bureau for Workers’ Activities, ILO while addressing conference on Ratification and Implementation of ILO Core Labour Standards in Capital on Monday. He said that the convention provides protection to workers in the country and also those who are working as migrant domestic workers in foreign labour markets.

If Nepal ratifies the convention, it will bring big changes to the lives of domestic workers who are facing daily exploitation and abuse at work. The new ILO standards state that domestic workers taking care of families and households must have the same basic labour rights and they should also be provided clear information on the terms and conditions of employment and rights at work including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

Nepal has been dragging its heels over ratifying Convention 87 on freedom of association, and Cunniah has also asked the government to approve it as soon as possible. Bishnu Rimal, president of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, said that the government had delayed ratifying the convention fearing that the Nepal Army and the Nepal Police too would form unions.

Purna Chandra Bhattarai, spokesperson and joint secretary at the Labour Ministry, said that the government was doing homework to ratify Convention 87. “The government will make the necessary amendments to the acts related to the security forces and essential services before ratifying the convention,” he added.

Published on: 16 August 2011 | The Kathmandu Post