In a foreign employment process, Yama Bahadur Chand, who was working in Malaysia, tragically passed away on Jestha 2. The Nepal Trade Union Confederation (GEFONT) took the initiative and coordinated with the Nepali embassy in Malaysia to repatriate his body to Nepal.

To bring the body of the late Chand to Nepal GEFONT Migrant Desk collaboration with the Nepalese Embassy in Malaysia. Janak B.K. the coordinator of the GEFONT Migrant Desk informed that they delivered the body to the deceased's house without any charges on behalf of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT). Late Yam Bahadur Chand has a wife with one daughter and one son.

Nepalese migrant workers gathered at Plaza Mall Arabian Restaurant in Sanaiya, Qatar, on June 19th, organized by GEFONT Support Group, Qatar.

The chief guest at the event was the founder and President of the GEFONT support group and a representative of ITUC Nepal and the gathering program has formed 2 separate committees in the Sanaiya area.



Sanaiya A and Sanaiya B have been named and 7 members committee was formed under the presidency of Dhurba Rajbansi and 15 members local committee was formed under the presidency of Pom Bahadur Thapa.

GSG Qatar executive President Khadka informed that the leaders of GSG Qatar member of the Middle East Migrant Nepali Forum member Chanilal Rajbansi were participating in the program held under the presidency of the Executive President of Nepali Migrant Workers Union Samundra Khadka.

GEFONT Support Group Kuwait (GSG-Kuwait) and Kuwait Trade Union Federation jointly organized a program on June 19th to educate Nepalese migrant workers about insurance coverage in case of job-related accidents in Kuwait and the program aimed to raise awareness about their rights under Kuwaiti labour laws during unfortunate workplace incidents.



Kuwaiti representative Junaid Abudi and legal experts from Kuwait informed the participants about the health and safety of migrant workers and the provisions of accident insurance under Kuwaiti labour laws.

Ganesh Rawat, coordinator of Nepali Migrant Workers Union, GEFONT Support Group, Kuwait, chaired the program, while Al Arda, general secretary of Kuwait Trade Union Federation, conducted it.


 

The General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union GEFONT  support group in Malaysia concluded the 5th convention in Malaysia on January 22  2022.

On occasion, GEFONT President Binod Shrestha provide information about migrant workers and said that GEFONT is always aware of the rights of workers.

After a long struggle of GEFONT, Nepal has recently arranged to participate in a social security program for migrant workers, which is being started in April/May. He pointed out that GEFONT is trying to get voting rights from migration.


Dilliraj Poudel, the Nepalese Ambassador to Malaysia, expressed the opinion that the GEFONT Support Group (GSG) should work as the first coordinator of the workers working in Malaysia. He informed that the embassy always wants to work closely with the GEFONT support group (GSG) and will work together to solve the problems of Nepali migrant workers.

In the program, MTUC President JH Mohammed appreciated GEFONT and informed that he is ready to cooperate more by revising the MoU made earlier between the two unions in the future.GEFONT Foreign department secretary Smritee Lama express her gratitude to all those to make the convention successful even in a short period of time and made clear the duties and works of GSG. MTUC President JH Mohamad, Food and Beverage Union Malaysia President Maatkar Bean, and MTUC Deputy General Secretary Mohamad Khairi participated in the inaugural session of the convention.



Former General Secretary of PSM Party Shivaranjani former advisor of Help Madhesi Malaysia Jay Prakash Shah, , Saroj Shah The program was attended by representatives, volunteers and members of various regional committees of GEFONT Malaysia.


In the convention, President Binod Shrestha was the president of the election committee including members are GEFONT Secretary Smritee Lama, Bedkumar Khatiwada and Prem Kumar Magar, Bibek Limbu, Hukum Thapa and Bedprasad Aacharya. The convention has unanimously elected a new committee of GSG Malaysia. The newly elected committee was formed under the presidency of Bibek Limbu, there are 31 members including four Vice presidents and three women members.


President Binod Shrestha congratulated the newly elected committee with instructions. Similarly, GEFONT Secretary Smritee Lama explained the works, duties and responsibilities of the newly elected committee

170 Nepalese workers from different companies attendees the program hosted by Bed Kumar Khatiwada and presided over by Prem Kumar Magar.
 

General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) has celebrated International Migrant Workers Day in Kathmandu with the slogan of social security for the secure future of Migrant workers.

In the program occasion of the Day, GEFONT President Binod Shrestha said that the federation is constantly raising its voice to apply social Security to workers going to foreign employment and expressed the hope that will be implemented soon. In order to bring foreign workers into the scope of social security, it is necessary to make it easier for them to join the social security system saying that he further added, "We need to remove the frailty in the issued procedure and implement it gradually.



Government is only concerned about power and has no concern or interest in labour and workers saying that they are forced to go abroad in large numbers every year. He opined that the number of foreign workers increased by 377 percent in the first year after the formation of the coalition government, but the inflow of remittances did not increase in proportion, so the government was in favour of the informal economy.



President said that the amount earned by Nepali workers abroad is abnormally low in Nepal and he said that the government should respond to this. In the last fiscal year, there was a 377 per cent increase in the number of people going for foreign employment, but there was only a 4.8 per cent increase in remittances to Nepal. Therefore, GEFONT said that there is room for suspicion.

In the first year after the pandemic of COVID -19, the increase in the number of workers going to foreign employment by 377 percent has presented a frightening picture of the migration of the young labour force in Nepal. GEFONT also said that this is an indicator of evil for the country.



Speaking at the program, Hari Thapa expressed the view that it is necessary to connect social security with employers in the destination country. He emphasized creating an environment where the employers of the destination country contribute to the social security fund for the labours going from Nepal to work. He also praised the work done by GEFONT to make fair foreign employment.



Speaking at the Program, Migrant Trade Union Korea President Uday Rai informed that migrant workers who go to work in South Korea are also exploited and there are problems such as workers not being able to change employers as per their interest, being forced to work excessively hours, etc.



In the program conducted by GEFONT Deputy Secretary General Naranath Luitel, a documentary was screened titled Stories of Injuries of Migrant Workers in Qatar produced by GEFONT.

The General Federation of a Nepalese trade union (GEFONT) has published the fact sheet on the occasion of International Migrant Workers Day 2021. The fact sheet covers important policy reforms related to migrant workers and immigration in 2021.



Speaking at the program organized on the eve of International Migrant Workers day, GEFONT President Cde. Binod Shrestha said that many Nepalese are forced to go abroad due to a lack of decent work in Nepal and stressed the need for Decent work in the destination countries as well.

He stated that the incumbent government has attempted to overturn the decision of free visas and free tickets under the pretext of its ineffective implementation, given that he stressed the effective implementation of the policy. He even suggested a reduction in the number of foreign employment agencies as it existed way more than required in Nepal.

Cde. Binod Shrestha said: "Aspirants who wish to go for foreign employment are having problems because of the non-labor friendly government and profit-driven manpower firms and many things cannot be owing to Nepal's predictable leadership".



He informed that GEFONT's central office obtained 18 applications concerning employment with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, and other countries in 2021, and 101 people received assistance  Of those, 20 have been rescued, 25 have had their passports retrieved, and 20 people have the issue with manpower firms charging exorbitant rates. The  Fact Sheet has encompassed issues such as the UAE's new Labor Law, and reforms in Qatar's Labor Law, including an analysis of workers' reviews in Recruitment Advisor. 

The member of the GEFONT support group from Kuwait, Malaysia, and Qatar also participated in the hybrid model program. International Migrant day is concluded with the slogan “make it a matter of interest, not duress”.