Nepal committed to ILO’s policy of decent work: PM; Support to Nepal shall increase- Director General Ryder

Kathmandu / Dec 14: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said Nepal is committed to ILO (International Labour Organizatioin) policy of decent work, and has implemented it too.

PM Dahal said this while addressing a function organized in the Capital on 50 years of collaboration between Nepal government and the ILO, on Wednesday.

Nepal government is ready to further collaborate with ILO in the sector of labour and employment, he said, adding that international labour standards on migration was needed in view of the growing foreign employment.

ILO Director General Guy Ryder said he has found Nepal’s constitution friendly to human rights, rights to employment, right to decent work and right to collective bargaining.

As Nepal has already signed seven out of eight conventions of the ILO, it has been helpful to protect workers’ rights, he added.

The representatives from government, workers and employers had signed on a commitment paper on future collaboration with ILO.

Support to Nepal shall increase- Director General Ryder

Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference organised Wednesday, ILO Director General Ryder said the support being provided to Nepal shall be increased as required. “This year we have allocated 17 million US dollars for Nepal, and will increase it as per the need,” he said.

Ryder also said that he would take the initiative to provide additional support to Nepal in the interest of the workers going for foreign employment.

He shared that the government of Nepal was suggested to sign labour agreements with the destination countries for workers. Prior to sending workers for foreign employment, they should be provided with necessary skills, and oriented on the particular country’s language and culture, he added.

Labour Minister Gurung- ILO Director- General Ryder meet

Meanwhile, a meeting between the visiting Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder and Minister for Labour and Employment, Surya Man Gurung has been held here today.

Director-General Ryder arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday in a three-day visit to mark ILO’s 50 years of development partnership with Nepal.

During the meeting, the two agreed to forge a common view point on the international issues, according to Dilli Bastola of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, who was also present in the meeting.

Minister Gurung extended thankfulness to the ILO for its support in the labour and employment sector in Nepal and congratulated Ryder for his appointment as the Director-General of the ILO for the second term.

Sharing that some 500,000 youths are forced to seek overseas employment every year in lack of adequate employment opportunities on their soil, the Minister urged for additional support from the ILO to regulate and manage overseas employment sector in Nepal.

In response, Director-General Ryder pledged ILO’s continuous support towards this end.

Ryder also lauded Nepal’s effort to ensure safety and regulations for labour sector of the country.

In a bid to make foreign employment sector safe, he suggested to prioritize labour agreement with the labour contributing countries.

Director-General Ryder extended gratitude to Nepal for remaining signatory to various conventions and resolutions of the ILO and expressed his confidence that it would also sign in the other important ILO conventions.

Present on the occasion were State-Minister for Labour and Employment Dilip Gachchhadar, Secretary of the Ministry and officials from the ILO. RSS