DECONT general convention begins

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb. 7: The first national general convention of the Democratic Confederation of Nepalese Trade Unions (DECONT) began here today. The general convention was inaugurated by its president Rajendra Bahadur Raut. The representatives of 18 Trade Unions affiliated to the DECONT from 61 districts are attending the convention.

At the programme, leader of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Pradip Giri called on the Trade Unions to be more oriented for the welfare and rights of the labourers.

Other leaders of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Bimalendra Nidhi and Prakash Man Singh, general secretary of DECONT Khila Nath Dahal, president of the Tarun Dal Bal Krishna Khand, Nepal Students Union president Kishor Rathour, Balaram Gharti Magar of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Khusi Lal Mandal of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) also expressed their views on the occasion.

Tourism workersdemand 10% service charge

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LALITPUR, Feb. 7: The third national general convention of the Nepal Tourism and Hotel Workers Association with the slogan ‘ ten per cent service charge is the workers’ right’ began here today.
Inaugurating the convention, chief of the Nepali Congress Organisation Department Krishna Prasad Sitaula stressed that the labourers should follow the norms and values of their profession and move ahead in safeguarding the democratic rights.

President of the Nepal Trade Union Congress Laxman Basnet said that 11 per cent of the entire labourers in the world were in the tourism sector and about 400,000 labourers in Nepal were directly or indirectly working in this sector.

He added that the tourism sector would prosper only if all the tourism entrepreneurs united.
General secretary of Nepal Tourism and Hotel Workers Association Nawaraj Upreti said that the association would pursue its demand for 10 per cent service charge and establishment of an emergency labour fund in future.

At the programme presided over by the Association President Achyut Raj Pandey, general secretary of the Nepal Trade Union Congress Pushkar Acharya and member Rajendra Acharya also spoke on labour rights and welfare.

TU students' election on Feb. 26

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 7: The Tribhuvan University is to conduct the Free Students Union (FSU) elections on February 26.According to the TU information division, the voters list for the election to be held at the TU campuses will be published on Feb. 12 and the deadline for filing the nomination papers of candidature has been set for Feb. 17.

Journos urged to write impartially

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Feb. 7: Speaker Taranath Ranabhat today said that journalists, who played a vital role in restoring democracy in 1990, now need to play an even more important role in safeguarding and promoting the peoples’ rule in the country.

“At a time when the media rules the world, its role in fostering democracy and good governance can hardly be exaggerated,” Ranabhat said while addressing the closing ceremony of the five-day long training programme on “The role of media in promoting civil society” this afternoon.
Giving away certificates to some 40 participants, Speaker Ranabhat said that the journalists needed to know their role and responsibility towards the nation through trainings and academic degrees before they jumped into the Fourth Estate.

On the occasion, Speaker Ranabhat honoured Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Abhraham Nir by offering a Nepali cap and “token of love” while he accoladed trainer duo Tomara Lahob and Dr. Sondra Rubinstein, both from Israel, by wrapping pashmina shawls around them. Journalists should stay away from politics and he should be able to give impartial judgment of any event,” said Speaker Ranabhat. The training was organised by the National Union of Journalists in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.

Envoy Nir said that the just completed training would be fruitful in not only executing day-to-day news reporting, but also in preparing agenda that benefits the society and the nation at large. He also said the government of Israel was ready to provide any assistance in the future. President of Press Council Nepal Harihar Birahi said that it was the civil society that suffered the most if the press was dominated by politics and business.

“The press has been commercialised in the name of free press in Nepal, which is very bad,” Birahi said, adding that the media should remain aloof from doing business. In her remarks, trainer Dr. Rubinstein hoped that the participating journalists would contribute their learning for the benefit of the society and the nation. During the function, the organisers informed that they would be organising a similar programme in Pokhara from February 10 for journalists working in different parts of the country.