Trade Union Congress seeks relief for workers in informal economy

The Nepal Trade Union, Congress has demanded the government come up with an immediate relief package for those workers in the informal economy during the COVID-19 crisis.

A delegation from the Union on Thursday met with Bishnu Rimal, the chief political advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and on his behalf, submitted a memo towards that end to the Prime Minister, seeking arrangements of food and accommodation for those workers including daily-wage earners for a time being, said Union vice president Ajay Kumar Rai.

According to the official data ( 2017-18), 84.6 percent workers are in the informal sector. The Union demands the availability of PPE (personal protective equipments) to the workers in essential goods manufacturing companies, to all health workers and the establishment of at least one corona check-up facility in each state. Besides, it has called for taking updates about the status of migrant Nepali workers through Nepali embassies in respective countries.