Ramesh Shrestha

Kathmandu, June 4

Multiple businesses, including the construction sector that is vital for rebuilding, are facing acute shortage of workers in

the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. From general workers to masons in construction and garment workers in export-oriented industry, every business is dealing with short supply of labour.

A huge number of workers, including Indians who had left Nepal in thousands after the temblor of April 25, are yet to return due to fear of repeated aftershocks. Hence, Nepali workers are in high demand for reconstruction activities at the local level, according to contractors.

Consequently, the daily charge of the construction workers has gone up by as much as 100 per cent.

“The general workers who could be hired for Rs 500 per day prior to the massive quake now demand as much as Rs 1,000,” informed Jayaram Lamichhane, immediate past president of the Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal. “Due to the shortage, a mason’s charge has gone up to Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 from the previous rate of Rs 900 a day.”

According to him, the main cause for shortage is attributable to the fact that a majority of skilled workers and masons hailed from the quake-hit districts and they are unable to return to work owing to family responsibilities.

Unskilled general workers cannot fill the void of skilled workers in any construction activity. But with the monsoon just round the corner and the skilled workers still tied to rebuilding their own homes, the shortage may become even more severe in the near future. Moreover, the number of youths leaving the country for foreign employment has also started to increase gradually.

According to Lamichhane, it is high time the government officially fixed the daily wage of skilled, semi-skilled and general workers, with focus on retaining them within the country by assuring comparatively better income for them here. Many youths, who lack special skills, are being forced to migrate for low paying jobs in Gulf countries and Malaysia that ensure minimum salary of Rs 16,000 to Rs 27,000 a month.

Readymade garments, pashmina and woollen carpet factories too have been affected post-quake due to the absence of workers. Garment Association of Nepal stated that around 90 per cent of workers were yet to return to their jobs.

“As we are unable to ensure delivery on time, the market which was expected to see some growth this year, will definitely slow down,” said Chandi Prasad Aryal, first vice president of GAN. The association has notified about its plight to the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies.

Restaurants and sweet shops that used to employ Indian cooks and sweet makers are also awaiting the return of their workers.

In modern jewellery making, which is dominated by Indian workers, there is shortage of highly-skilled and skilled workers who design a variety of modern jewellery using sophisticated tools. “More than 90 per cent of workers involved in designing modern jewellery are from India and they have not returned so far,” said Manik Ratna Shakya, coordinator of ad hoc committee of the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association.