Passing laws, ensuring young and women leadership in trade unions - Nepal in 2019

The next generation needs to ensure trade unions leadership, therefore General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) chose to invest in the organizing of workers below 35, since they are the future. “I’m Geeta (34) and I have two children. I have been working in an aluminium industry since the past 14 years. I started working at the age of 20. At that time, I had no idea about trade union rights, workers’ rights or women rights. In 2004 I got the opportunity to participate in a programme organized by GEFONT. I really got inspired and started raising awareness among my co-workers. In 2006, I became the GEFONT representative for my enterprise and in 2010 I became the Whole Industry Trade Union Nepal (WHIN) district committee member (blue collar workers) and secretary.”

Dilli, 38 years old, is fighting, together with Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC), for better wages and better working conditions. “I have a very poor family background: I have 4 children, a disabled father and a mother with a chronic disease.  I’ve been working in an Ilam Dairy Product Cooperative since 2004, with a total salary of 2.000 NPR (15 EUR). I used to work 12 hours a day, without any leave or other welfare support. My salary was way too low to fulfil the basic needs of my family, as well as to pay medicines for my parents. I asked my management several times for an increase, but it was denied over and over again”.
That’s why he consulted WSM partner, local trade union, NTUC. An NTUC district committee carefully listened to his grievances and they involved him in different programs and activities of the Union. Finally, in 2017, with the initiation of NTUC, his salary was increased to the level of the minimum wage of 9.700 NPR (73,50 EUR). For long, the minimum wages fell far below the amount needed to satisfy the family subsistence. In 2018 the legal minimum wage was revised and increased to 13.450 NPR (101,90 EUR). However, regular monitoring of the implementation of the wages is very important. In case of Nepal, this aspect is fully absent. Workers in enterprises or sectors where union is absent or weak are still compelled to work for a wage that is insufficient to earn a living. Dili for example did again not receive the increased minimum wage. That’s why NTUC made a second request to revise his wage in the beginning of 2019. Thanks to their support, he is now receiving it.

As became clear in the above example, NTUC has been organizing various policy dialogues and policy level intervention activities. They organized their workers through its regular activities, such as May Day, International Women Day, the International Occupational Health and Safety Day, Decent Work Day, Youth Day, etc. They focused on organizing and campaigning. Because of these and other efforts, NTUC and GEFONT have managed a very respectable increase of membership of 100.000 members in the past three years, of which the overwhelming majority are women and under 35 years old!

WSM third Nepali partner, ITUC-NAC, the umbrella organisation of the three main trade unions in Nepal, has been focusing its activities on creating awareness among workers on issues like labour rights, wages, etc.  With the recent experiences of the 2015 earthquake and the reoccurring floods and landslides, the affiliate unions have also developed a separate structure, namely the ‘disaster management committee’ to support workers during a disaster or natural calamities.

These stories illustrate the exemplary work done by WSM partners, the trade unions in Nepal, one of the rare countries in South Asia where the trade unions work closely together and through their unity managed to lobby government and employers to pass eight important legislation regarding labour standards and social protection covering the 20 million active population and also formally integrating the informal sector. However, there is still a lot of work to be done, since only 1% of companies has enrolled its workers in the social security system and unorganised workers are still mostly not covered while trade unions are looking to ensure social protection for them specifically.

Another important event for WSM in Nepal was an innovative initiative dubbed the Nepal Express, a group trip organized by WSM in Nepal with 16 Flemish people from 21 Sept till 6 Oct. 2019. The trip, unlike many other immersion trips, focused on empathy, experience and challenges. Before even leaving, each participant collected 2.000EUR to support WSM's Nepali partners. Afterwards one of the participants of the Nepal Express wrote this: “With mixed feelings, we return home. Happy for so many unforgettable experiences, but also a bit melancholic to leave this wonderful country and its incredibly friendly people. One thing is certain: each of us has a piece of Nepal in us for the rest of our lives.”

Finally, WSM has started a new project in Nepal on behalf of the Global Coalition on Social Protection Floors (GCSPF). Supported by the EU, this is a 2020-2023 project in which WSM works closely with the ILO and UNICEF. It offered the opportunity for WSM to include other partners than the trade unions, involving civil society organisations and setting up the Nepal Network on the Right to Social Protection.
With WSM support, trade unions achieved the contributory social security schemes, but now WSM will also focus on the non-contributory schemes: child allowances, elderly pensions and access to health for all. The challenge here is to gather different organizations working on these aspects and have them better understand the issues (e.g.: how to ensure funding for these schemes?) and advocate.
As a pilot approach, the Social Protection Civil Society Network works with the authorities in two villages to see whether their involvement can get more people better coverage.

2019: over 200.000 people reached through:

Labour standards: 

• Close to 150.000 workers, of which 16% women and 8% under 35 y/o, are made more aware of their rights through campaigns and public outreach.
• Over 300 workers, of which 30% women and 9% youth, were organized to become a member of a trade union.
• 1.000 workers, of which 30% women and 56% youth, received basic training and 500, of which 22% women and 26% youth, received advanced training (of leaders or of Trainers).
• 300 workers, of which 25% women and 7% youth, benefited from legal assistance.
• Advocacy: over 80.000 workers (15% women and 8% young workers) are mobilized at grassroots level to demand their rights through demonstrations, petitions, May Day rallies etc.

Vocational skills:  62 people got vocational skill training (68% women and 21% youth) in embroidery, tailoring etc.

Social security:  350 workers were mobilized to demand their social security rights (26% women and 4% youth). 

Nepal partners: GEFONT, NTUC, ITUC-NAC, SPCSN                                 Budget 2019: 87.813€

Donors: DGD, EU DEVCO                                                                                Programme: 2017-2021