At 26 anniversary, GEFONT hands out awards and support to earthquake victims

On the occasion of its 26th Founding Day, GEFONT handed over cash to the April 25 and beyond earthquake victims, who are members of GEFONT. 25.000 to 40.000NPR were handed over to those victims’ families who were killed by the devastating quake, whereas, the members who were seriously injured in the quake were given 15 to 20.000 rupees. The cash was handed over by GEFONT President Bishnu Rimal, totalling 1.175.000NPR! "I sincerely thank Global ILO staffs' union, and WSM for their generous solidarity" said president Rimal.

On the same occassion, GEFONT distributed two awards and scholarships. This year Yamkala Magrati from Sunsari district was awarded the Noor Wangchhu Award and Chanchalal Bot from Udayapur district was awarded Madhav Neupane Smriti Award.GEFONT President Bishnu Rimal presented Gangadevi Scholarship and Treatment Assistance to Nayan Pokharel of Hetauda and Surya Bahadur Sarki of Butwal. Likewise Mira Basnet, Tea estate worker and member of FAPWUN was given Gangadevi health treatment assistance. She had lost a limb in a bus accident while coming to Kathmandu.
More information can be found here.

NTUC ensures five demands present in Nepali constitution drafting process

NTUC trade union and its affiliates from the Kathmandu valley met last Sunday, to appeal to their members to attend public hearings organized as part of the constitution drafting process in Nepal. After trade unions agreed in the JTUCC platform on several issues to be included (link), NTUC put forward five main issues which the members should suggest during the public hearings organized in 240 electoral constituencies around the country.

These five demands prioritized by NTUC are:

1. Representation: 10% of workers representation on all levels of the state (parliament, but also district and local level) - link here
2. Social security for all, including for migrant workers abroad
3. Right to vote for Nepali migrants working abroad, through the Nepali diplomatic representations
4. Institutionalizing the Labour Commission, a tripartite structure, necessary for the correct implementation of the Labour Law
5. Right to strike

Five Nepali Congress members from the Constitutional Assembly attended, as well as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, who ensured he supported the demands from NTUC.

Bruno Deceukelier, invited as the WSM Asia Coordinator, which is supporting this process, spoke how WSM believes in solidarity between workers all over the world, which is increasingly becoming a small village. He expressed it was important that in this village, houses of decent work were build and congratulated NTUC on emphasizing the four cornerstones in their five demands:

1. The Right to Strike, which was also contested globally in the ILO and needs to be defended more than ever;
2. The social security and more largely social protection for all, especially with such a significant portion of Nepali working abroad;
3. Workers representation in the democracy;
4. Social dialogue and tripartite structures

He also said Nepal is currently going through a fundamental time, where rights can be inscribed in the constitution and provide the foundation for many improvements of labour rights. If successful, trade unions will then have to play an important role in ensuring the respect of these rights.

How crucial this is can be demonstrated by the opposition of the Nepali Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), which wants to withdraw labour rights from the fundamental rights to be inscribed in the constitution. The article mentions "The private sector has voiced fears about the possible misuse of the provision regarding labour rights. “If the right is treated as a fundamental right, labourers could file a petition against their employers, and the state is liable to protect the right. This will create a dubious situation" (link to article here).

NGWF informs: Garment workers rally and red flag procession held on demanding wage and festival bonus

The leaders of six garment workers federations have demanded immediate payment of wages within July 10 and Eid (festival) bonus within 14 to garment workers. They also urged the government to take action against factory owners, who would violate the deadlines.

The demands were raised at a rally on 08th July, Wednesday, at 10:30am in front of the National Press Club in the capital city Dhaka. The garment workers rally was followed by a red- flag procession that paraded important streets of the city.

Presided over by Amirul Haque Amin, president of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF), the program was jointly organized by NGWF, Bangladesh Garment Workers Employees Federation, National Garment Workers Employees Federation, Akota Garment Workers Federation, Garment Workers Solidarity Federation and Bangla Garment Workers Federation.

The rally was addressed, among others, by Trade union Comrade Qamrul Ahsan, M. Delwar Hossain, Kazi Mohammed Ali, Md. Kamrul Hasan & Ms Shahida Akter Smrity.

The speakers urged the factory owners and BGMEA to pay garment workers their wages and overtime dues for the month of June within July 10 and the Eid  bonus before 14 July 2015, as per the government announcement.

The speakers mentioned that every year during Eid festival some garment factory owners fraudulently cheat the garments workers through a dilly dally tactic & thus do not pay the workers at all. As a result workers fall in inhuman condition. The leaders alerted BGMEA leaders and law enforcing agencies in this regard. This year if any garments factory owner, committing the crime of cheating the workers, they urged all concerned to bring them under law and ensure remarkable punishment.

The speakers demanded that the management of Grameen Knitwear, the factory owned by Nobel Lauriat Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, withdraw all false and imaginary cases against 204 workers, reinstate the sacked workers or pay, as per termination definition, termination benefit, service benefit, leave compensation and provident fund, including all dues immediately.

The workers leaders also demanded for reopening of Success Fashion and Norwest Industries as well as capture factory owners Safar Ali Bhuyan and Indian national Pollok Sheth respectively for committing offence to destroy trade union.