Kathmandu, October 11:

The government is introducing a separate policy for the welfare of street vendors and workers.

The announcement to this effect was made at a three-day Asian Regional Workshop that began here today under the aegis of the StreetNet International, an organisation for street vendors, and the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT).

The street vendors have been facing many challenges; they have no permanent place, no security and are victimised frequently by corrupt police and local administration, gangsters, thieves and robbers. The workshop will focus on the need of massive unionisation of women workers, providing ID cards to street vendors and hawkers from municipalities, guaranteeing their security, holding interaction with wholesalers and producers, providing basic trade union course to them and extending sub-regional regional and international exchange and cooperation.