Demand of trade union congress to withdraw foreign employment health examination fee increase

Kathmandu. The Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) has objected to the government's recent increase of up to 50 percent in health examination fees to be paid by workers going for foreign employment. 

In a press release issued by the general secretary of the union, Ajay Kumar Rai, the said decision has added an unjust financial burden on thousands of workers, and it has been demanded to withdraw it immediately.

According to the association, at present the health examination fee is being charged from Rs.3,500 to a maximum of Rs.6,500, so an attempt has been made to increase the fee with the agreement of interest groups and some businessmen.

As mentioned in the statement, a fee increase of a similar nature was also done on Chait 8, 2081 during the tenure of the then minister. But after widespread protests, the government was forced to withdraw the decision.

The association claims that it is unfair to impose an additional financial burden on the workers in the situation where the unemployment rate is high in Nepal and foreign employment contributes about 30 percent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). 

The union has requested the government to pay attention to worker-friendly policies, safe work environment, ensuring contribution to social security fund and ensuring voting rights from foreign lands instead of increasing fees in the foreign employment sector.

Targeting the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security in the absence of political leadership, the union has commented that the circular issued to subordinate agencies to implement the increase in fees is 'unfair, anti-labour and a move against poor workers'.

The union has also demanded the government to immediately return the fee increase and maintain the old rate and to appoint a political leader in the Ministry of Labor as soon as possible.