Labour audit conducted at only 3,500 out of nearly 9,000 enterprises

Only 3,500 out of more than 9,000 enterprises are found to have conducted their labour audit.

This information was shared in a programme organized by the Swatantrata Abhiyan Nepal (SAN) here on Friday. SAN is a non-governmental organization that works for the justice and end of impunity, for the end of deprivation through developmental activities together with government and run campaigns against all forms of discrimination and slavery like practices.

On the occasion, Joint Secretary and spokesperson at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Dunduraj Ghimire, said that the number of enterprises conducting their labour audit would increase if the entrepreneurs paid attention to refreshment training to enhance the service, facilities and capacity of workers.

He said implementation of the labour audit standard would provide the correct data on labourers, hence contribute to job creation within the country.

Advocate Ghanendra Bahadur Shrestha, presented a paper entitled 'Provisions and Implementation of the Labour Audit Standards'. He said lack of awareness is also one of the main reasons for the low number of enterprises conducting labour audit even in the five years duration since the issuance of Audit Standard, 2075.

He opined that implementation of labour audit standards would contribute to making the labour sector dignified. It would also help in creating employment within the country itself maintaining a conducive environment between the entrepreneurs and workers.

Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) general-secretary Binod Sapkota said that only the administrative staffs working in the trekking sector are hired on salary basis while the rest of the workers work for short period.

"The workers in the trekking business, except the administrative staff, have less than a week or more working period as they work on a seasonal basis (only during the trekking season), their working days are often less than a month. There is lack of clarity regarding the implementation of labour audit concerning these workers," he said.

Sapkota said there is need of extensive discussions in coordination with TAAN and having a clear policy on this topic including linking the workers of the trekking sector to social security and providing them pay and facilities in accordance with the Labour Act.

Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) general secretary Sajan Shakya underscored that the Acts, policies and standards related to labour should be such that they should facilitate collaboration and cooperation between workers and employers for the rights and interests of both parties. Public awareness should be raised for this purpose, he added.

President of SAN, Ritu Bhattarai said we should be alert lest children are employed in the labour sector in the context of most of the skilled youth workforce of the country going abroad for employment.

Human Resources Department chief of Chandragiri Hills Pvt Ltd, Dipendra Joshi stressed on the need of strict monitoring by the regulatory bodies on the status of implementation of the related labour policies and standards.

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