Nepal: only 102 positive corona cases, but many challenges lurking - Interview with Ramesh Badal from GEFONT

Ramesh Badal,
Vice-President of GEFONT

• What is the situation regarding COVID-19 in Nepal, a country between China where the outbreak happened and India where so many problems have been reported? 

Till now (8th of May 2020), Nepal has very few detected cases. The first corona case was detected in Nepal on 30th of January. After an initial slow start, over 70.000 tests have been conducted, which revealed only 102 positive cases. So far, Nepal has:

• no corona related deaths, 
• 30 people cured and released 
• 72 remain hospitalized 
• 135 are in isolation. 

As preventive measures, over 15.000 people are under government quarantine. All international flights and borders are closed till 31st May and a complete lock-down is imposed till 17th of May. However, in the past days, some 43 industries related to food or other items have been allowed to re-open with strict measures to abide for workers to avoid infections.
In the coming months, cases will most likely increase, as the lock-down will be lifted in phases and many of the Nepali migrant workers want to return from abroad. Nepal would have great difficulties to ensure proper quarantine for an estimated 177.000 returning migrant workers (127.000 from Gulf states & Malaysia and over 50.000 Nepali workers in India).

• How does GEFONT and the Nepali trade unions deal with this? What struggle are you currently facing?

Despite the few cases, of course, the Nepali economy is heavily impacted by this crisis. The lock-down caused many workers to be out of work, tourism revenue has dropped to zero and remittances from Nepali migrants, an important source for many Nepali households, are decreasing.

7th Anniversary of Rana Plaza Tragedy- lighting 7 candles - NGWF

Seven candles were lit on the 7th anniversary since the Rana Plaza Tragedy by the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) in front of their offices in Dhaka, in remembrance of the dead and injured workers. Two orphaned children were also present, besides the president Mr Amirul Haque Amin and selected central leaders.
At the time of the candle lighting, certain demands were put forward by the Federation in relation with Rana Plaza, but also related to the present COVID-19 situation:

About Rana Plaza

1. Punishment of Rana Plaza owner and six garment owners of Rana Plaza;
2. Establish a monument in remembrance of deceased workers of Rana Plaza on the land;
3. Ensure follow-up and medical service for the injured workers of Rana Plaza;
4. Demand of rehabilitation for the injured and families of deceased workers;
5. Continuation of the Accord until the formation of proposed Ready Made Garment Sustainability Council and until the negotiations are done between Buyers and the Trade Unions.

About the present corona-virus

1. Black-list the garment industries are open still and take steps to punish them;
2. Cancel their license and take measures against those owners who did not pay the full salary for the month of March;
3. Those who cut the four-days salary for March must pay these to the respective workers;
4. No fraud can be done to the workers in the name of lay-off. Garment Industries should remain closed under the general leave declared by the Government with full payment;
5. Garment industries can not open until the situation improves and public transportation are available;
6. No delays regarding the April salary and Eid bonus;
7. Stop postponement and cancellation of order, and demanding discount by Buyers
8. With owners and Government, the Buyers must also come forward to take the responsibility for the workers;
9. Initiate rationing system for garment workers by the government.

International Solidarity in times of Corona - WSM position

On the WSM website, a specific page here is dedicated to news about the Corona pandemic and more specific on the actions taken by the members of the Network on the Rigth to Social Protection all around the world.

The coronavirus is wreaking havoc and makes no distinction in race or class. In Europe, it was brought back by middle-class families returning from their ski trips. It weren't refugees, migrants, or Eastern European workers that brought this pandemic upon the Flemish people. In Belgium, authorities managed to take short-term drastic action with accompanying social measures. In other countries, the population is worse off. International solidarity is needed now more than ever. Today, tomorrow and the day after.

Read the full position of WSM on the need for International Solidarity to curb the effects of the pandemic and its social and economical consequences here, with a specific focus on elderly here.

The Emperor has no clothes: Asian garment sector during corona times (AFWA)

The coronavirus pandemic has triggered an unprecedented socioeconomic crisis - where there is a crisis of both demand and supply which can trigger a downward spiral, in which workers in global supply chains are the some of the worst affected. There is no clear consensus as to when there will be a revival of growth, which puts the working poor in a state of utmost uncertainty. This report tried to look at the major ways in which this has played out at the local level in four major textile and apparel production countries in Asia. Special emphasis was laid on the impact of the pandemic and institutional responses in four dimensions, viz. wage disbursal, social security, migration and healthcare. In a system that puts profits over people, wages are the first to be cut, and social security for the working poor decimated. Public healthcare is grossly underfunded and inadequate. Migrant workers suffer among the most vulnerable, underpaid and excluded sections of the workforce. In this scenario it is important to raise two points.

Firstly, the government that is expected to step in during such a time does not do so due to its commitment to fiscal fundamentalism that has restricted its spending capacity even under normal times, let alone in the midst of such a crisis. An abandonment of neoliberal economics by adopting progressive taxation policies, wealth redistribution, massive stimulus packages aimed at safeguarding livelihoods as well as employment opportunities, extensively revamping the public healthcare system and protecting the freedom to associate is the way forward for government action. 

Secondly, it is imperative to note that inter-brand competition in the fast fashion industry has pushed down wages with little to no protection for the working class in developing countries. The race to produce more has been a race to the bottom for the working poor, with local suppliers increasingly relying on contractual workers who live and work in increasingly precarious conditions. It is an ethical as well as economic responsibility of the brands to step in and devise mechanisms to safeguard those who produce their profits from such unforeseen vulnerabilities. A major step forward in this direction would be to encourage collective bargaining through unionisation as well as strengthen the solidarity within the labour movement.

Read the full Asia Floor Wage Alliance report: "The Emperor has no clothes" here. 

Some key messages from Corona pandemic for WSM and the members of the Asia Network on the Right to Social Protection

1. With the pandemic, our world faces an unprecedented situation in which human life is in danger. It affects each and every one of us and imposes on us an unprecedented task, both physically and morally, professionally and personally; the crisis is not only health-related, it will have and is already having many consequences, not only on our daily lives and health, but also on the world of work and the socio-economic fabric of our various regions.
2. The current situation can only strengthen our motivation to work together to defend the right to social protection for all. In countries that do not have a strong health system or a comprehensive social protection policy, the solidarity mechanisms deployed by our organizations will be the only way to prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of such a crisis.
3. As organizations of women, youth, health care, domestic and other kinds of workers, the members of the ANRSP are on the frontline working with and for those who are and will continue to be the most affected by this disaster. 
4. Many workers in Asia and in the informal sector are faced with the impossible choice of staying home and losing their jobs or income or go out and risk exposure to the virus.
5. Staying at home can be a luxury, but also staying in your country or state can be difficult: the lock-downs and closing of borders caused many problems for migrant workers: internal: like in India, where there were mass exodus of workers who didn’t want to get stuck and many deplored the lack of dignified treatment of migrant workers; or international, like Nepali migrant workers stuck in working camps in Qatar, without flights, income (so no remittances), or even legal possibility to re-enter Nepal.

It is hence essential to continue our advocacy work for universal social protection and to call on governments to back political decisions with sufficient resources for strong and accessible social protection for all. This crisis reminds us that social protection, as a form of organized and institutionalized solidarity, is the best guarantee for all, including the most vulnerable, to absorb this kind of shock.

Asia in Corona times: general situation and for workers

Though the pandemic originated in China, many of the South and South East Asian countries were impacted only later by the virus. 7th of April, Indonesia already has 2.273 cases and 198 deaths, followed by Thailand with 2.169 cases and 23 deaths. Bangladesh has 88 cases of whom 8 died. Nepal so far has only 9 cases and nobody died.  Laos and Myanmar confirmed their first cases on the 24th of March, respectively 12 and 24 cases, but many analysts question the capacity of their healthcare systems to properly identify and track the coronavirus. In the Philippines, cases jumped to 3.414 and to a total of 152 fatalities. The situation is India is also getting worse, with 3.374 cases of whom 77 died.

Several countries in Asia avoided rapid-spread outbreaks like those seen in South Korea and Italy and only confirmed 755 cases throughout the first two months of the global outbreak. ASEAN countries reacted quickly to the news of the coronavirus spreading in China, applying several important lessons learned during the 2003 SARS outbreak.

However, a drastic rise in new cases in Asia starting mid-March foreshadows major challenges in transmissions. Charted out, the rapid rise in cases in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand starting mid-March indicates a shift in trajectory from a slow and manageable rise in cases towards a more serious outbreak in several Asian countries. The ILO’s latest analysis of the catastrophic effect of COVID-19 on working hours and earnings shows that in the next three months there could be a loss of 195 million full-time equivalent jobs, with 125 million in the Asia-Pacific region.

Nepal - COVID-19: Workers getting protection

Both NTUC and GEFONT started out with organizing assistance and hygiene awareness programmes for their members. Since the lock down in Nepal,  more recently they have also provided food relief to their members in need, mostly informal or day workers.

More importantly, both trade unions also advocated for the Government of Nepal to support workers affected by the pandemic. The Government followed their demands and announced a relief package on the 29th of March, including measures such as:

1. Government shall pay 31 percent of basic salary needed to pay to the Social security Fund by employer and employee and employer shall pay remaining amount only to the employees;
2. Employer should not cut salary of employee during the pandemic ensued lockdown;
3. Local government should manage and provide food during the lock-down to all daily waged and informal economy workers;
4. Private school fees for this month may not be paid by workers. 

The government also declared that the treatment for people infected by COVID-19 shall be done free of cost. However, some believe this package to be unclear and implementation to be unsure. M Ajay Kumar, Steering Committee member for Nepal also highlighted the issue of transport workers in an open letter to the Prime Minister.

Video made by GEFONT (in Nepali) to raise awareness among workers regarding the virus

WSM new partner in Nepal, the Social Protection Civil Society Network (SPCSN) has started broadcasting public announcements on the radio (Community Information Network) all over Nepal to increase public awareness for prevention measures. They have also signed a joint appeal regarding specific measures to be taken for children and other vulnerable categories.

ILO overview of COVID-19 measures implemented by governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and the ILO for Nepal: link

India - COVID-19: social protection for all informal workers!

The situation in India is extremely bad for internal migrants and the informal workers WSM partners are working with (domestic workers, daily wage earners, construction workers and agricultural workers). Current lock-down measures in India, which are at the high end of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 Government Response Stringency Index, have impacted these workers significantly, forcing many of them to return to rural areas. There are no transport facilities and no economic backups to meet their daily needs. Unorganized workers are walking hundreds of kilometers to their homes. Also, the crisis-ridden livelihoods of farmers have been completely ignored. Although the Indian government had announced an aid package for the unorganized and vulnerable, it is still not enough compared to countries that have already provided similar support to the vulnerable.

The WSM India partners hope there will be universal social protection for all and that the vulnerable will receive 20.000INR per month (243 EUR).  AREDS also took the initiative to draft an open letter to the Indian Prime Minister. Staying at home is a luxury for some, but, as is written in the open letter, unorganized workers cannot work from home, nor can they afford to stay home for several days, weeks or months. The unorganized workers staying home means the number of deaths by malnutrition could be higher than the number of deaths by COVID-19. “It’s a good opportunity to re-distribute and show solidarity. Our long pending demands of social protection are more relevant than ever”, said Samy, founder of AREDS. For now, many organizations and movements are demanding pro-active programs. Certain media and political parties have joined in advocating for more concrete actions to halt economic loss for the unorganized.

AREDS also works in the field directly and ensures the payment of certain social protection government schemes (Old age pension, destitute, widow pension, differently-able and orphans) for which they are mandated and commissioned by SBI bank. In the past days, they reached close to 10.000 people in 20 districts in Tamil Nadu. Their staff and volunteers go to the residence of these people who are unable to travel and deliver the schemes through bio-metric procedures. A total of 37.556.500INR (450.155EUR) was distributed to the most vulnerable. From 9th of April, AREDS has the regular 185.000 elderly to reach, for a total amount of 185.000.000INR (2.139.718EUR).

AREDS staff distributing elderly allowances with bio-metric verification

CWM leadership and members also joined the emergency volunteering teams by door-to-door delivery of Government essential goods (sanitizer, mask, food) as well as the 1.000INR relief allocated by the government. Thus, CWM assisted migrants workers from Bihar, Odissa, West Bengal and north eastern states as well as agricultural workers in six districts and construction workers around Trichy and five other districts.

CWM members in volunteer teams

Domestic workers relief packages

 Millions of the Indian domestic workers and members of the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM) are affected due to lock-down. Though the Government has instructed the employers not to cut the wage till the lock down is relaxed, it is unclear how many domestic workers will get their wages. Though the Government has announced relief packages, many State Governments still haven’t come out with clear mechanisms on how the relief packages will reach the people, as it can be availed by only  those who have ration cards, so many will be left out of the Government benefits, like senior domestic workers who have no one to help, single head women-widows, deserted and many interstate migrant workers. Even those who have a ration card still need food till they can get the rations. NDWM is identifying the domestic workers who are in need of immediate help and support and are contacting different sources for financial support. The way the situation is evolving, it looks like people will die of hunger before the virus. To avoid this, NDWM has taken the following actions:

1. Linked up with Voluntary Organisations, Gurudwara, Transgenders group, food banks etc. to distribute food and food to the very poor Domestic Workers. For those who don’t have ration cards, NDWM is distributing our food kits and cooked food. NDWM so far has distributed to 7000 workers in beginning of April.
2. Appealed to the Chief Ministers, Members of Parliament and Labour department to transfer direct cash to workers enrolled in the Welfare Board
3. Released Press statement to the media to highlight the plight of Domestic Workers in lockdown. 
4. Contacted the local rationing officers, District administrators to extend our collaboration to distribute rations
5. Appealed to them to issue special ID to distribute food materials, which was already obtained in some states
6. Contacted employers requested not to cut salaries during lock-down
7. Contacted well-wishers to donate for domestic workers who are in need of urgent support

ILO overview of COVID-19 measures implemented by governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and the ILO for India: link

Bangladesh - COVID-19: corona testing kits and food distribution

Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK), the biggest health provider in Bangladesh after the government, is at the forefront by developing a corona-virus testing kit (see our previous post here), GR Covid-19 Dot Blot, which would allow detect infection in 15 minutes.
After the green light to import the needed material, GK plans to have a first batch finished by the 11th of April, so that it can be submitted to WHO and the Bangladesh Government. If they approve it, they can start mass production. As previously reported, they want to make this testing kit available for as many people as possible, at a very affordable price of 200BDT(2 EUR), to avoid a massive outbreak.

GK has also started food distribution, with over 2.000 families assisted last week. These packages include rice, lentils, cooking oil and other necessities, with which a family should survive for one month. GK hopes to be able to help 100.000 families in one month. Follow their Facebook Page for more details. GK also invites people to support them here.

 The National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) distributed rice, lentils, potatoes, onions, soap, and other essentials to 213 garment workers. Also,  Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Foundation (OSHE) distributed masks, gloves, soap and awareness leaflets among the ready-made garment workers. They called upon the Bangladeshi government to declare COVID-19 an Occupational Disease under the labour law.

According to OSHE, at present over a million of workers and employees in health service, waste recycling, food and medicine supply chain, ready made garments, tea plantation, mass media, bank and financial services etc. in Bangladesh continuing to serve at workplaces due to urgent national and commercial needs with potential health hazard and inadequate health and safety protection. Many of them potentially get infected with corona virus at work and on the way to work or get back home during this pandemic period require necessary legal protection.

Repon Chowdhury, Executive Director of the OSHE Foundation said “This is very much a genuine and timely demand under the context of present reality in Bangladesh. COVID-19 needs to be declared as an occupational disease under the present national Labour law immediately through an official executive order by the government towards ensuring health and safety rights of the working population at workplaces passing time with the vulnerability and risk of Covid-19 infection”.

Urgent efforts are needed to ensure that vulnerable group of workers and employees with COVID-19 should have appropriate access to proper housing, with space for quarantine and social distancing while sleeping and eating, potable water and proper sanitation facilities on and off the job, free health care, safe transport, safe work practices and income protection.

ILO overview of COVID-19 measures implemented by governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and the ILO for Bangladesh: link

"We do not want to be portrayed as heroes who have been thrown to the battle without the protective gear and support from the government to fight our unseen enemies. We cannot accept to end our lives in vain" Philippines - COVID-19: Health workers on the frontlines

Nurse from Philippine Orthopedic Center with
her call: Stop Discrimination to Health Workers

Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) pushes the government to urgently take measures that will ensure the safety and well-being of health workers. Health workers are overworked and underpaid, and public hospitals are understaffed. The pandemic of COVID-19 has worsened the situation of health workers. They have to work 12 hours duty for 7 straight days without any additional compensation. Therefore, AHW urges the government to begin conducting mass testing to all public hospital workers and in communities as well, in order to prevent rapid infection.

The Department of Health has already purchased 1 million of personal protective equipment (PPE).  However, this is not enough: “lack of PPE and health personnel means death to our frontline health workers”, said Mr. Sobinsky, AHW Public Relations Officer. “To strengthen the public hospitals the government should increase the health budget with 5% of the GDP and hire and train more regular health workers to handle COVID-19 patients”.

 AHW denounces the increasing number of cases of discrimination against health workers. In a press statement, AHW also expressed their solidarity regarding the harassment and mass arrest perpetrated by police forces against the residents of Sitio San Roque in Quezon City last April 1st who decried the government to provide them food for their subsistence.

Find below the AHW statement for April 9, 2020, the DAY OF VALOR: So much of Appreciation, Health Workers need Protection
AHW joins the Filipino people in commemorating the “Day of Valor” also known as “Araw ng Kagitingan” which commemorates the bravery and heroism of the Filipino people who helped bring democracy and freedom in the Philippines during World War II era. 

ILO overview of COVID-19 measures implemented by governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and the ILO for the Philippines: link

Indonesia and COVID-19: KSBSI facilitates pre-employment card and SPMI assists returning migrant workers

Indonesia has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 testing, and it is concentrated in greater Jakarta where the country’s best medical facilities are. It is still unclear what containment measures Indonesian authorities will take, beyond social distancing and handwashing, to lower the rate of infections. The Indonesian President, however, has announced to allocate 2,55% of GDP or 15,9% of the APBN (state budget) for COVID-19 mitigation. It’s aimed at keeping Indonesia’s economy afloat during the coming weeks. For the moment, they’re mainly focussing on prevention. “The more individuals in the community learn about the preventive messages, the more chance they have to beat the virus”, said Yurianto, Government’s spokesman for COVID19-related matters.  The Indonesian government will implement a "Large-Scale Social Restriction (PSBB)" starting in Jakarta and surroundings city on 10 April. Every region in Indonesia can ask the Central government for PSBB implementation when it meets the requirements, such as data on increased number of COVID-19, prepared health facilities, quarantine plan, food distribution, cash transfer plan, limitation of public transport, etc.

WSM partner, the trade union KSBSI negotiated with management to set up hygiene and safety measures in the companies and factories to protect workers from the virus.  MPBI (KSPI, KSPSI and KSBSI) provides disinfectant spraying for the general public and distributes hands sanitizers to people in need.

KSBSI is also socializing and assisting members to collect data on workers lay-offs so that they can be registered for pre-employment benefits card, which has a cash transfer of 1 million IDR per month (around 80 Euro), for the next 4 months due to COVID-19.

WSM other partner in Indonesia, SPMI (previously SBMI) was involved to collect data from and assist at least 3.000 migrant workers that returned to Indonesia. They also had to pressure management for the payment of outstanding salaries for workers who had to leave.

ILO overview of COVID-19 measures implemented by governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and the ILO for Indonesia: link

Cambodia - COVID-19: Garment orders cancelled and factories closed

Kong Athit

On the 25th of March the Cambodian Prime Minister announced that Cambodia enters a state of emergency. So far, there are no official cases in the garment sector, but there are also no tests done. According to Kong Athit, Vice President of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers’ Democratic Union (CCAWDU), brands like Indytex and C&A are discontinuing their orders and not even collecting their produced orders. All the unions therefore have a public statement towards the government and will write a letter to the Brands, in which they request them to contribute to a suspension fund.

The garment sector is different than other sectors in Cambodia, since they will face massive suspension due to the drop of orders from the EU and the USA. That’s why IndustriALL is working on a global strategy between brands and suppliers, with 3 points in particular:

• Ask brands to pay for completed orders;
• Establish an emergency relief fund by the brands;
• Urge the Cambodian government to strengthen the social protection system to support the garment workers.

Moreover, the lock-down is unclear for other sectors in Cambodia. Beginning of April, 91 garment factories closed, meaning that there are over 3.000 workers without income. More than 400 hotels closed and some hotels are paying 50% salaries to the workers, but in most hotels without unions, the workers just have to take unpaid leave. Also in the construction sector, there’s little specific information on the lock-down. Cement factories are still working for example and no measures are announced. Therefore, BWTUC wrote a letter to the Government requesting similar measures as for the garment sector workers.

The next challenge will be lack of food and money to pay rent. “Unions will need support for awareness and Protective Personal Equipment materials. Union must use this opportunity to organise and to support the workers. Even if we lose members, we need to show that the unions are looking out for them”, said Athit. They will increase their communication with members in suspended companies and monitor the situation. There’s also a need for a national dialogue on the contributions from employers, government and brands according to Athit.

India: COVID 19 follow up

We all welcome the India government’s announcement of aid package to the unorganized and vulnerable. It is the result of many organizations and movements, including ours, demanding pro-active programs and help to the unorganized and the most vulnerable. Now the entire media and political parties have joined in advocating for more concrete actions to halt economic loss for the unorganized. The Corona pandemic has shaken the world beyond all predictions and so-called progressive economies have almost come to a standstill, with a lot of uncertainty for the future.
We see a change in the attitude of leaders of fundamentalist parties and rightists who have also started demanding more budget to be allocated to meet the needs of the most vulnerable and the daily wage earners. The unpreparedness and the lack of listening to experts have created more problems for the internal migrants and the vulnerable in India. No transport facilities, no safeguards to make these people get back to their homes and no economic backup to meet their daily needs for food etc. The visuals we see in the news and in social media of police brutality and the type of punishments given to the so-called violators of the curfew is are inhuman and one wonders whether these police have been trained to assist and help or to escalate and cause more pain in already exiting sores. We see unorganized workers walking hundreds of kilometers to their homes. The pandemic has taken away almost all the working possibilities for unorganized and they lack safe shelters and food storages forces them to venture out and risk their lives.

Nepal: relief package for workers

The Government of Nepal responded to the demand of GEFONT and issued the following relief package to workers affected by Corana-virus pandemic on 29th of March 2020:

1. Government shall pay 31% of basic salary needed to pay to the Social Security Fund by employer and employee. Employer shall pay remaining amount only to the employees.
2. Employers should not cut the salary of employees during the pandemic-ensued lockdown.
3. Local government should manage and provide food during the lock-down to all daily waged and informal economy workers.
4. Unemployed people, migrant returnees and those who cannot fly to their country of destination due to the pandemic may join the Prime Minister Employment Program and get subsistence allowance.
5. Private school fees for this month may not be paid by workers.
6. 2,5 Million NPR insurance to the medical person, ambulance driver, garbage cleaners and other employee.
7. Subsidized electricity supply during the pandemic.
8. Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) shall be provided free of cost to the employees concerned.
9. The treatment for people infected by COVID-19 shall be done free of cost.