 |
Kathmandu Wednesday May 02, 2001 Baishakh 19, 2058.
|
PM solicits laborers’ help; leaders,
unionists flay govt
Post Report
KATHMANDU, May 1 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has urged all the
laborers to centralize their force on national interests and social revolution.
Premier Koirala also solicited support from the working class to help end the
ongoing violence launched by the Maoists. "For my endeavor to restore peace and
security in the society, I need help from all quarters," pleaded the PM.
Addressing a program organized by the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) in
the Capital Tuesday, PM Koirala said that development is possible only with peace and
security and this alone can safeguard the interests of the working people.
Laxman Bahadur Basnet, President of NTUC, demanded with the government to
fulfill their demands of social security of laborers, which includes welfare schemes of
the laborers’ family members.
Chairman of Hotel Employees Achyut Wagle blamed the government of stripping
off employee rights to protest by announcing the hotel industry as essential service.
Artha Raj Koirala, Chairman of Employees Association of Garment Industry, and
Dhan Bahadur Gurung, Chairman of Carpet Employees Association, accused the government of
disheartening the laborers.
Meanwhile, speaking at another program organized by the General Federation of
Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) in the Capital Tuesday, most of the communist leaders
stressed on the need to unify all the trade unions for the welfare of the working people.
The left leaders including General Secretary of main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal
said that unless the laborers are united and are aware, their movement will not succeed.
General Secretary of United People’s Front Lila Mani Pokharel, speaking
on the occasion, blamed the present government of deteriorating the plight of the
laborers.
Chairman of National People’s Front Chitra Bahadur KC, founder member of
Communist Party of Nepal and leader of the CPN (Unity Center) Nara Bahadur Karmacharya,
representative of AMC, Hong Kong Sajida Ali, Ramon Bultron of Philipino Laborer’s
Union and ILO Country Director Layla Tegmo Reddy also addressed the gathering.
Likewise, former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, speaking at a
symposium organized by the Democratic Confederation of Nepalese Trade Union (DECONT), said
that all the trade unions have to enhance their capacity to achieve their rights. In
keeping with the socio-economic condition of the country, all the laborers have to
contribute to consolidate democracy and there should be consistency in organizing such
programs, he said lauding the activities of Communist parties.
General Secretary of CPN-ML Bam Dev Gautam, addressing a joint program of
five left parties, said that the extreme rightist and ultra -leftists elements are
threatening the laborers’ movement in Nepal.
Leaders of various political parties and the unionists affiliated to the
parties, excluding for the ruling one, raised the issues of laborers’ security, equal
pay, job guarantee and made scathing remarks on the government for its negligence towards
the working class.
On the same occasion, left leader Karmacharya said that laborers’
interests and rights will not be guaranteed unless a new society is created.
Speaking at another program jointly organized by All Nepal Trade Union
Congress (ANTUC) and All Nepal Trade Union (ANTU), Central Committee, to mark the 12th
International May Day, popularly known as Laborers’ Day, the veteran communists
demanded that the workers should get pay according to their toil.
Meanwhile another left leader Chitra Bahadur KC said that the present
government is totally indifferent towards the interests of the laborers. Even today
laborers are exploited by a handful of capitalists and bourgeois worldwide and the
Nepalese laborers are exploited not only here, but also abroad. KC also flayed the
government for crushing the right demands of hotel employees by announcing the sector as
an essential service sector. Split in communist parties has resulted in division in labor
unions, which has weakened the negotiating capacity of the workers, he said.
Chairman of United People’s Front Amik Sherchan, Secretary of ANTU Yagya
Pokhrel, Prem Subedi of ANTU, General Secretary of ANTUC Jaya Karki and Durga Poudel also
addressed a modest gathering of the two trade unions at Bouddha toady.
Meanwhile, All Nepal Trade Union National Federation, issuing a press release
today, has stated that laborers all over the world are celebrating May 1 as Laborers’
Day commemorating the achievement laborers made 112 years ago.
The release adds that the Union was formed today as an independent labor
union being tired of unhealthy alignment of trade unions in the country. Justifying their
emergence, the release says the union was constituted to give new direction to labor
movement breaking the groupism and reformism.
Similarly, underground Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, issuing a press
release today has stated that it was Marx, who for the first time found out the
exploitation of laborers by capitalists. Ever since, the laborers all over the world are
celebrating May 1 as the human struggle against inhumane capital and unity day of the
working class.
In order to fight all the social anomalies and distortions and exploitation,
the CPN-Maoist has launched a comprehensive struggle in the name of People’s War.
Therefore, without pursuing our strategy, it will be illusive and prejudiced to mark May
Day, the release signed by the Maoist supreme leader Prachanda stated. |
