UNITRAV threatens to padlock NTB, other tourism bodies

Kathmandu, March 21

The Union of Trekking Travels, Rafting and Airlines Workers - Nepal (UNITRAV) has threatened to lock out Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and other tourism organisations for not addressing their issues for a long time. Organising a press meet here today, UNITRAV has warned NTB and tourism organisations of starting its protest against them from April 4.

“Both the government and tourism bodies have overlooked our concerns for a long time and we have no option other than to protest,” said Suman Prasad Parajuli, president of UNITRAV.

The union forwarded a nine-point demand to the concerned organisations today. As the tourism organisations have refused to implement the Labour Act, Social Security Act and Regulations, tourism workers have announced of their protest programme against NTB and other tourism organisations, informed Parajuli.

Although the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) had recently announced on February 26 to increase wages of trekking guides by 20 per cent, the Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) is still to implement the agreement signed on November 29, 2017 with UNITRAV regarding services and facilities for workers.

Amid this delay in fulfilling the past agreements by the concerned organisations, UNITRAV has issued a new demand of levying 10 per cent service charge on tourists and has said that the amount thus collected should be deposited in the workers’ provident fund. The service charge should be provided to workers involved in the trekking, travel, rafting and climbing sectors, Parajuli said.

“We have sought a 10 per cent service charge on every travel and trekking booking and the amount to be deposited in the workers’ provident fund,” he added.

Prior to this, workers had sought 10 per cent from the amount collected through Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS). However, TAAN, which is responsible for collecting the TIMS fees is still to provide it to the workers, as per Parajuli.

“While workers in the mountaineering sector are still receiving wages based on an agreement reached a decade ago, workers at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) are not getting their salaries on time,” he said, adding, “And most of the companies including TIA have not insured their employees.”

Parajuli also accused NTB for failing to regulate such tourism organisations.

Meanwhile, UNITRAV has also raised the issue of collecting tax from workers working at national parks.

“The government needs to immediately remove the policy of levying tax on workers of national parks,” said Ram Krishna Shrestha, general secretary of UNITRAV. As the workers have low wages they should not be levied any taxes, he argued.

Besides, the union has also demanded to scrap individual trekking permission, to stop recruiting workers in airport and religious areas via tender process, to provide proper skill training programmes and services to high-altitude workers and to increase the wages of high-altitude workers by 50 per cent.