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| Kathmandu, Tuesday November 18, 2003 Manshir 02, 2060. |
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Illegal Nepali workers protest S Korea’s
deportation policy
Moon Drops allowed to export manpower
BY SAMEER GHIMIRE
KATHMANDU, Nov 17 - Ending nearly a year-long controversy,
the government has finally allowed Moon Drops Manpower Agency to export Nepali workers to
S Korea as trainees.
The government has allowed 88 workers to move to South Korea
under the quota in the first phase, according to a highly placed official at the Ministry
of Labour and Transport Management (MLTM).
These workers, who are yet to fly, will have a legal stay for
at least 2 years and will be drawing Rs 33,000 as a minimum monthly salary.
Moon Drops, an authorised manpower agency for supplying
Nepali manpower to South Korea, had listed 800 people as a successful candidates recently
and 88 people out of 800 are leaving fir Korea in the first batch, informed the source.
"The government has already initiated process to allow
other workers also to fulfill the quota of 800 people," added the government
official.
With the latest decision, the government has settled
controversy on who could be the authentic agency to supply Nepali manpower to South Korea.
Such controversy brewed in January this year when the government recommended Moon Drops as
the authorised agent for "job-cum-training quota" of around 4,200 people offered
by South Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses (SKFSMB).
Many manpower agencies had charged the government for being
biased while recommending Moon Drops for such lucrative job quota. And Moon Drops also
drew flak from all quarters for allegedly collecting exorbitant fee to the tune of Rs
500,000 from the aspirant candidates.
The government officials, however, denied the charges and
said that they have allowed the agency to supply the manpower only after a series of
inspections of Moon Drops’ office and its document .
Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Lalit Bahadur Thapa, joint
secretary at the Ministry said that the government permitted the company only after making
an in-depth investigations and capping the service fee at Rs 96,241.
"The government has not only carried out frequent sudden
inspections, but also capped its service charge to ensure that the agency does not take
any undue advantage of its authority," he added.
Meanwhile, reports from South Korea suggest that a number of
Nepali workers have begun a sit-in demonstration against the South Korean deportation
policy of illegal migrant workers.
"The government’s deportation policy is driving
migrant workers to death," said un document ~ ~ d workers from Nepal and Bangladesh
among others, in a press conference held in South Korea reports The Korea Times.
Such sit-in protest follows as the deadline set by South
Korea for the voluntary return of illegal workers expired yesterday. According to the
reports, South Korea will start to round up over 100,000 un documented workers from today.
However, illegal workers who have had their wages withheld,
suffered industrial accidents or filed suits against employers will be allowed to extend
their stay until their problems are solved.
"Those who are caught will be subject to 20 million won
(local currency) in fines or three years confinement, while being barred from entering
Korea for five years," the report adds.
The government officials here, however, said that they have
no idea on the latest developments regarding the illegal workers in South Korea.
A total of over 6,000 Nepali workers are believed to be
working in South Korea, while official data reveals the number to be only 3,966.
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