On Sunday, Nepalis celebrated May Day or the International Day of Labor. The celebrations mark the workers’ solidarity and hard gains of the past year. We join the immense labor force of this country in their joyous moment. The unity demonstrated by various trade unions, including General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), by organizing a rally in Kathmandu, and other cities of the country to mark the day, was worth noting. After all, these organizations have played a vital role in protecting labor rights and promoting workers’ welfare. Labor is now an issue of national concern and an agenda vital for every political party of the country.

However, this is also an opportune moment to evaluate the degree of success achieved by us in our labor movement in the past years, especially after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Are our workers happy in the true sense? This is a question which remains to be answered by the political leaders and trade unionists. Ripped by internal feuds and wrapped in politics, the true meaning of Labor Day has been all but lost. Labor Day should signify the happiness of men and women who work hard to make a decent living. Unfortunately, however, this sector in Nepal has long been a victim of poverty, limited opportunities, deteriorating agricultural productivity, and the armed conflict which has resulted in massive migration of labor force to other countries. As per one data, the total stock of Nepalis working overseas (excluding about one million in India) in different capacities is estimated to be about half a million (ILO-DFID 2002). Economic migration to the Middle East and other parts of the world was spurred by the oil boom in the early 1970s. International labor migration, mostly to Gulf States, Malaysia and other South East Asian countries started some 30 years back. Unexpectedly, foreign labor migration has developed in such a way that it has shifted the agricultural based economy of Nepal towards remittance based economy. According to the figures released by the government, there are more than 565,000 documented migrant workers abroad; whereas other estimated figures put the number at more than one million Nepali migrant workers, including 100,000 female migrant workers. This figure does not include the population who migrated to India. Most laborers till now face many hardship – in terms of being cheated, lack of information upon arrivals in foreign lands, lack of insurance and health benefits and others – as this business is yet to take a dignified professional form.

Another important aspect of Labor Day concerns child labor. Statistics show that of about seven million children between 5-14 years old working in Nepal, about three million are found to be regularly working and 1.7 million children are found to be economically active. Worst affected are the Kamaiya children. A latest report also showed that 63 percent of domestic workers in nine major cities including Kathmandu are below 18 years of age. Clearly, exploitation of minors is still rampant in the country besides all efforts by the state agencies and INGOs to halt it which proves that Nepal still has a long way to go in terms of strengthening its labor sector. The government must strengthen the existing laws and put special focus on the protection of the rights of migrant workers. This is a very important area for Nepal, one that cannot take a back seat, even at a time of political chaos and uncertainties.

Published on: 2 May 2011 | Republica