70 percent industries are not paying full salary to workers, says survey

April 3 : Seventy percent industries are found to have defied the government’s direction to fully pay the workers of the formal sector for the last Nepali month of Chaitra (March-April). During a primary survey on the status of distribution of remuneration and operation of industries during lockdown by the Whole Trade Union Nepal (WHIN), only 30 percent industries were found giving the full payment of March-April to their workers as directed recently by the government.

The survey covers 219 industries associated with General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GFONT), in the five States with industrial density. The study finding is that 87 workers in the State No. 1, 58 percent in the State No.2, 68 percent in the Bagmati State, 68 percent in the Gandaki State and hundred percent workers in the State No. 5 were not given payment on a regular basis. Workers of multinational companies, hydro-power companies, food industries and drugs industries were getting the payment regularly and such industries were operational during lockdown.

Though the government had issued a notice in the national gazette seeking the full payment to formal sector workers for the month of Chaita, it seemed majority of industrialists were not serious to implement the government decision, said WHIN chair Anand Thami.

He stressed the government should take a strict measure for the interest of workers and those abiding by the government directive should be deprived of state facilities. During lockdown, 24.65 percent industries were operated regularly, 15 percent partially and around 60 percent have remained completely