Clean politics is necessary: NC Vice President Gurung

Nepali Congress (NC) Vice President Dhan Raj Gurung has echoed the need for clean politics.

In his address to an inaugural session of the fifth Federal General Convention of UNI-Press Nepal in Bhaktapur on Saturday, the lawmaker expressed his concern over the fresh media reports alleging the involvement of political figures in the illegal immigration of Nepali as the Bhutanese refugees.

Underlining the need of responding to the case by law, the leader said if accused ones are allowed to go legally untested, the efforts towards good governance would be abortive. He said, "Corruption must not be endorsed under the influence of politics. If corruption is tolerated, the rights of workers and farmers will remain unaddressed forever.”

The NC Vice President went on to say that trade union leaders were expected to further strengthen their voices against corruption taking place in various forms.

Similarly, Nepali Congress central member and lawmaker Rama Koirala Poudel, who attended the session as a special guest, expressed her concern over reluctance on the part of employers, though not all, to connect workers to the social security scheme. According to her, only 17,734 enterprises out of over 346,000 were registered at the Social Security Fund until 15 days back.

It suggests that employers are largely hesitant to get involved in contribution-based social facilities for workers because it also requires contributions from employers.

The lawmaker who spent over 25 years as a trade union congress activist called on the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) to provide more opportunities for women workers to develop their leadership skills and contribute to bridging a large representational gap in each State mechanism.

Various trade union congress leaders who gathered on the occasion to discuss the pressing issues of workers were univocal that the effective implementation of the Social Security Fund, work decency, appropriate remuneration, job security, health safety measures, and social security. Effective enforcement of the Labour Act was equally voiced at the event. They called for ending police corruption in each sector and at every level.

They urged the NC to acknowledge the contribution of NTUC in creating and consolidating the foundation for democracy and highly prioritize the issues of workers in its policies and actions. They have sought their representation in the party statute as well.

NTUC Senior Vice Chair Mahendra Prasad Yadav, Vice Chair Netra Khanal, and Nepal Women Association, Bhaktapur District Chair Saru Baniya were among those speaking on the occasion.

The event concluded by electing a 33-member new leadership for the next four years. It has elected a three-member advisory committee comprising Aswin Kumar Dahal, Shree Krishna Shrestha, and Surya Nepal.

Subarna Jung Sijapati has been reelected the chair while Sudip Budhathoki is the general secretary and Sambhu Ghimire treasurer. Kabita Karki has been elected the Vice Chair and Leela Devi Dahal the Vice Chair towards a women quota.

The UNI-Press Nepal, an association of workers from the printing press and related organizations, is one of the 27 entities affiliated with the NTUC.

(Pabitra Guragain)

----