ANTUF-R demands Rs 15,000 as minimum pay

The All Nepal Trade Union Federation-Revolutionary (ANTUF-R) affiliated to the CPN-Maoist has threatened to shut down all industrial establishments across the country for indefinite period if minimum monthly remuneration and daily wage of workers are not raised to Rs 15,000 and Rs 700, respectively, within five days from Friday.
The warning comes four days after the government raised minimum monthly remuneration of workers to Rs 8,000 --including basic salary of Rs 5,100 and dearness allowance of Rs 2,900 -- from Rs 6,200. The daily wage of workers was also raised to Rs 318 from Rs 231.
“We had to issue this ultimatum as the new deal reached between the government, employers and trade unions is not in the interest of workers,” says an ANTUF-R statement issued on Friday.
The ANTUF-R claims a delegation led by the trade union had met with Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi in March and handed over a 25-point memorandum seeking radical changes to minimum remuneration and daily wage structures. After the trade union´s calls were not heard, it issued a seven-day ultimatum on May 15 and announced a series of protests.
“But instead of listening to our genuine concerns the government reached a deal with trade unions that had deviated from our movement,” says the ANTUF-R statement, adding, “The newly reached agreement on minimum remuneration and daily wage is not acceptable to us.”
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the largest umbrella body of the private sector, has called the demands and ultimatum of the ANTUF-R as “unfortunate”.
“Such demands would only discourage private and foreign investment. This would ultimately affect job creation process and force more youths to leave the country,” Manish Agarwal, vice chairman of FNCCI´s Employers´ Council, told Republica.
He also said it would not be appropriate to initiate any discussion on wage revision at the moment as “we had just raised minimum remuneration and daily wage of workers in a significant manner”.
A high-ranking official of the Ministry of Labor and Employment said, “At a time inflationary pressure is creating hole in the pocket of ordinary citizens, the demands of the trade union sound genuine. But we also have to take the condition of industrial establishments into account as many are not operating in full capacity due to various problems ranging from power outage and labor-related problems to lagging economic growth rate.”
Asked why the ANTUF-R was not included in the wage negotiations between the government, employers and trade unions, the official, on condition of anonymity, said the government sends its invitation to the Joint Trade Union Coordination Committee, a group of leading trade unions operating in the country. “It is up to the committee to send representatives to participate in the wage-related negotiations,” the official further said.