The GEFONT family has been deeply saddened by the death of 18 technicians and crew members in the plane crash of Saurya Airlines on the morning of July 24.

GEFONT offers its deepest condolences to all the people who died in the accident and deep condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured Captain Manish Ratna Shakya.
 

Furious transport workers blocked Satdobato intersection area on Sunday evening after driver Rajkumar Tiruwa of Lalitpur's Godawari-Lagankhel route was assaulted by traffic police assistant constable Rajesh Chaudhary and jawan Arjun Rai.

Assistant constable Rajesh Choudhary told the driver of Ba 2 Kha 2077, who was going to Godawari from Lagankhel with passengers, that he did not have the documents requested by the assistant constable Rajesh Chaudhary as the documents were at the traffic police office.

According to witnesses, the traffic police, who became infuriated, attacked the driver while on the driver’s seat and threw him to the ground, then kicked him with his boot and hit him hard enough that the steering wheel of the vehicle broke.

Independent Transport Workers’ Association of Nepal, Lalitpur District Committee and Godawari Route Unit Committee, protested against the unwarranted behaviour of the traffic police and blocked the road till 8PM by parking all the vehicles on the road and chanting against the traffic police.

Due to the unity demonstrated by the transport workers, a 4-point agreement was reached which included taking formal action against their assistant constable Chaudhary and jawan Rai, treating the driver and repairing the vehicle.
 

The effects of the global economic recession after the covid epidemic have also started to be felt in Nepal. 

The Department of Labor and Occupational Safety has stated that the number of foreign workers coming here for employment has decreased.

Compared to the previous financial year, the number of foreigners who received work permits has decreased by 10 percent. In the F.Y. 2079/80, the number was 2,994, which has been reduced to 2,685 in the last fiscal year.

Among the citizens of 96 countries who have taken labour permits for employment in Nepal, Chinese citizens rank at first. 

There is a provision in the Labor Act that states that the establishments operating in Nepal can hire only 5 percent foreign workers.

Although the 2075 guideline for the labour permit system of foreign nationals provides that skilled manpower who are not available in Nepal can be imported and employed, it is found that even unskilled workers come to Nepal due to the arrangement of allowing foreign workers to be employed in the amount decided according to the agreements with various agencies of the Government of Nepal.
 

Information has been received from Nepal Police that 250 women are smuggled daily from Tribhuvan International Airport to just the city of Dubai.

Due to Dubai only requiring hotel bookings and plane tickets to obtain a visit visa, traffickers are using this loophole to easily traffic people.

In the past, police clearance reports, 12th grade educational certificates and bank statements were mandatory to go to Dubai on a visit visa, for which one had to not only create fake documents but also arrange setting with the immigration staff.

However, human trafficking has become easier as there is no need for any of the mentioned documents. 

According to the information, Nepali women are being trafficked not only through Nepal’s airport, but also through the airports of India.

It has come to our knowledge that the trafficker is doing this by setting up a network in Nepal and Dubai.
 

The 11th meeting of the National Delegates Council meeting of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) concluded yesterday. The meeting held at Thapagaun, Kathmandu on July 20 and 21 under the chairmanship of CPN (UML) Deputy General Secretary and GEFONT Patron Bishnu Rimal passed various proposals.

The council meeting passed the proposal of future work divided into 17 topics presented by GEFONT president Binod Shrestha.

The 28-page long program includes 17 topics along with their detailed activities to be implemented throughout the year, namely, strengthening the organisation and distribution of membership, revision of labour laws, 10% service fee refund campaign for hotel and tourism workers, campaign for paid internship, campaign to implement social security in all sectors, campaign to unionise outsourced workers and include them in the social security program, campaign to implement labour audit at the enterprise level, conduct training, resolve disputes in the workplace to strengthen labour relations and establish a labour desk, publicise and publish the contribution of workers, strengthen business-related safety and health protection, organise various events and ceremonies, strengthen joint initiatives and joint work through the JTUCC on labour issues to secure and dignify migrant labour and employment, organise special programs, make the central office more organised and make collaboration and inter-relationship between unions more effective.

Similarly, the meeting passed the proposal of 21 points of contemporary issues submitted by the Vice President Bidur Karki, the report of the National Committee submitted by the General Secretary Laxman Sharma and the financial report submitted by the Finance Manager Baburam Koirala.

Before passing the report, all 4 reports were discussed by making 5 groups. After the discussion, Arjun Aryal, Sujana Joshi, Sarita Nepal, Kripa Karki and Shankar Thapa presented suggestions and comments on behalf of their group.

GEFONT President Binod Shrestha expressed his belief that the entire GEFONT is ready to effectively implement the program passed by the 11th meeting of the National Delegates Council and the mandate given by the meeting, and that GEFONT will reach a new height in the trade union movement.
 
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The National Delegates Council meeting of the Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) started yesterday on June 20th in Kathmandu. Council members from all over the country are participating in the meeting which will continue for two days under the chairmanship of CPN (UML) Deputy General Secretary and GEFONT Patron Bishnu Rimal.

Member of Inclusion Commission Haridatta Joshi, Chief of CPN (UML) Wing Organization Bhanubhakta Dhakal and FES Nepal Representative Chandradev Bhatta were also present in the opening ceremony of the council meeting. On this occasion, GEFONT President Binod Shrestha congratulated and expressed best wishes to GEFONT patron Bishnu Rimal, who was recently appointed as Chief Advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The national meeting of the GEFONT Solidarity Fund was also organised on the first day of the council meeting. The representatives of the gathering made suggestions on the proposal presented by the General Secretary Laxman Sharma regarding the amendment of the Fund Operation Regulations-2073 to make the fund more systematic and effective.

GEFONT President Binod Shrestha honoured the news editors, technicians and presenters Amar Dhwaja Lama, Bikram Shrestha, Sabita Basnet, Jenish Shrestha, Rabin Gopali, Supriya Rai and Bishnu Khanal who were involved in the production of daily digital bulletin ‘Shramik Khabar’ launched by GEFONT on July 9 last year on the occasion of the first anniversary of the bulletin. Furthermore, Sangita Pandey of Gandaki Province and Dansingh Bista of Sudur Paschim Province were honoured for watching, listening and sharing the most number of labour news on social media.

In the first session of the Council meeting, General Secretary Laxman
Sharma presented the report of the National Committee, Baburam Koirala presented the financial report and President Binod Shrestha presented the proposal for upcoming programs. According to the agenda of the meeting, the reports and proposals presented on the first day will be discussed and passed today on July 21.

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