On Productivity

It is a good research on productivity, wages, employment and labor market situations in Nepal

By KESHAB POUDEL

At a time when policymakers are talking about the need to improve industrial production, a new book finds place in the book store of Kathmandu.

To atain economic prosperity, what is required is sound industrial environment and dedicated work force. Studies have shown that it is almost impossible to achieve progress without changing the status of employees and labor.

Experts have already predicted that the coming era is going to be an era of industrial workers and wage laborers. As such, it is the responsibility of the state to take concrete measures to change patterns of productivity.

The book "Productivity, Wages, Employment and Labor Market Situations in Nepal" explains various aspects of economic development and labor market in the country.

One of the main highlights of the book is that it is based on the case studies from various parts of the country. It also analyzes trends in productivity, wages and employment especially in the manufacturing sector after the economic liberalization of 1990.

Following the economic liberalization, many books have been written on productivity, employment and labor market of the country but only a few book have tried to explain them.

Published by Friedreich-Edbert-Stiftung, a German NGO, and Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies, the book has made sincere efforts to deal with problems related to the Nepalese labor market.

The present trend shows that the size of work-force in Nepal continues to increase but many problems related to them go unnoticed. It is a well known fact that the workers cannot be de-linked from the services they produce and provide to the society. Their skill and motivation crucially affects their work ethics and other environment.

Wages and other facilities determine productivity of the country. This is the reason all countries of the world have their own policies for wages and employment.

In a country where nearly half of the population lives under abject poverty, economic development depends upon capital and technology and efficiency of the labor.

The sway of labor theory of surplus value has not come to an end with the rise of globalization and, therefore, there is a need to marginalise the extent of extreme politicization of trade unions that are confined to covering benefits without increasing productivity.

There is also a need to marginalize the extent of politicization of trade unions that are confined to securing benefits without increasing productivity.

The book highlights that a higher level of productivity is determined by many factors such as wages and fringe benefits, on-the-job training and skill development and provision of health and safety nets, etc.

Increase in productivity is not a matter of choice but a national imperative for trade unions. This is more relevant in the context of a poor economy like Nepal, says the book.

Edited by Madan K. Dahal, Bharat B. Karki and Umesh Upadhyay, the book is first of its kind which deals with different aspects of productivity, wages and employment and labor market situation in Nepal.