Kathmandu, November 3

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration and the agitating All Nepal Government Temporary, Contract and Daily Wage Workers Union have inked a seven-point deal, ending the latter’s protest, which continued for over a week.

MoFAGA Joint Secretary Rudra Singh Tamang and Bhupal Rasaili, central chairperson of ANGTCDWWU, led the talks held at Singha Durbar yesterday night on behalf of the government and agitating temporary civil servants respectively.

ANGTCDWWU had been demonstrating in front of the MoFAGA at Singha Durbar with various demands, including automatic permanent status, additional perks and dignified exit for those laid off. The temporary civil servants resorted to agitation after the government decided to lay off 8,000 of them with effect from the beginning of this fiscal (July 17), offering them three months’ salary. Those laid off include computer operators, office assistants and drivers.

As per the agreement, the government will again request all ministries, commissions and secretariats to implement the August 18 Cabinet decision to manage human resources working on temporary and contract basis.

Similarly, the government will request the concerned authorities to review facilities of only three months’ salary provided to those laid off employees. This agreement has paved the way for laid off employees to be entitled to extra gratuities.

Similarly, the temporary employees will be managed as not to be permitted them to enjoy dual facilities.

“The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration will request the concerned local levels to give continuity to temporary employees working in telecentres, which were recently handed over to rural municipalities/municipalities by Postal Services Department,” the agreement paper states.

The MoFAGA has also agreed to request all agencies to provide temporary and contract employees with minimum salary fixed by the government.

Both the parties have decided to deposit a certain portion of amount in gratuity fund by the government and employees to prevent recurrence of similar problems on the part of temporary and contract employees at the time of their retirement or lay off.