Bilateral labour agreement with Gulf nations soon: Mansur

Kathmandu, December 18

The government has taken special initiatives for the bilateral labour agreement (BLA) with the major working destinations of Nepali migrant workers, according to Labour and Employment Minister Farmullha Mansur.

Mansur informed that the government is trying to sign the BLA with the Gulf countries, where a large number of Nepali migrant workers are working.

“We signed the BLA with Jordan last month and the ministry is seriously taking initiatives to sign such agreements with other destinations,” Mansur informed in a programme organised by the ministry to mark International Migrant Worker’s Day.

Mansur also said the government is serious to protect the basic rights of Nepali migrant workers who are working in various working destinations.

He also stated that remittance has played a significant role in changing the society and economy of the country, however, migrant workers are still suffering from multiple problems in their working stations. “We have seen multiple cases of migrant workers facing hardships in their work destinations, and the concerned authorities and private sector have to unite to solve the problems of migrant workers,” Mansur said.

Similarly, Sudeep Pathak, member of National Human Rights Commission, informed that the constitutional body has also started to register the grievances of the migrant workers who were victimised during the course of their work or by the manpower agencies.

Likewise, Secretary at Ministry of Labour and Employment Laxman Prasad Mainali informed that the government has started special programmes to reduce malpractices in the sector. He also stated that government is working to ensure legal recourse for migrants.

As per the data maintained by the ministry, a total of 4.76 million Nepali migrant workers are working in multiple destinations across the world, including Malaysia and the Gulf countries.