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LETTERS |
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LETTERS |
Immature Stage The labor movement in the country is still
immature in many aspects ("Rights or Wrongs?" SPOTLIGHT May 9). The frequent
disturbances in the factories and tendency to resort to strikes even in small pretexts
depict that our labor leaders have yet to metamorphose into a responsible lot. But this
should not be taken as negative. There are examples that labor movement took time to
mature in many other countries, as well.Timely advices through media and civil society can
help in the proper shaping up of the movement. Jit Kumar Basnet Damaging Disputes The disputes that crop up in the industrial
sector can ruin the national economy if not addressed on time ("Rights or
Wrongs?" SPOTLIGHT May 9). In the absence of proper and institutionalized system of
addressing grievances, even a small dispute could snowball into a major problem. When the
national economy is in a state of shambles, the importance of maintaining industrial
harmony is even greater. As such, there is a stark need to improve the existing industrial
relations in the country. Laxman KC Hire And Fire Policy The western economies particularly that of
America prospered because there is a very progressive and flexible policy as regards to
industrial relations ("Rights or Wrongs?" SPOTLIGHT May 9). The industrialists
there can fire their employees in the name of retrenchment and lay offs relatively easily
whenever they face recession. But it is simply impossible to sack employees en masse in
countries like Nepal. Granted that the lack of social security and other inherent
weaknesses prevents our country from adopting flexible policies of hire and fire. However,
the policy should also not be rigid where laborers are given a free hand. A timely
amendment in the labor acts, therefore, is necessary. Kiran Tamang Fragile Relations The cover story "Rights or
Wrongs?" (SPOTLIGHT May 9) exposed the details about the situation of industrial
relations in the country. It pointed how fragile the relations between the employers and
employees are. No wonder, even a small dispute could erupt into a much bigger one, as
there is no trust between the two actors. Unfortunately, the role of the government, which
should ideally have been the facilitator and creative interface between them, too, is not
up to the mark. The negotiated settlement of disputes is rare and most of the times they
take the form of strikes and lockouts. Prem Singh Peace Path The commencement of peace talks between the
government and the Maoists has bolstered people's hope for peace ("Passage To
Peace" SPOTLIGHT May 2). For the last seven years, Nepalese people were suffering
untold miseries in their own countries. With incidents of violence and terrorism scaling
new heights of mercilessness, people fled from their native villages. Around eight
thousand people lost their lives for no apparent reason at all. Now the peace talks have
started and everyone has welcomed it. But there is a nagging concern that is at the back
of every Nepali. What for were these people killed? Political rhetoric heavy with
communist and revolutionary terminologies apart, the Maoists have not shown their
sincerity towards resolving people's plight. It is as clear as crystal that the Maoists
want to have power. They claim they can change the face of nation if they are allowed to
rule it. But their claims sound hollow and their intentions seem nefarious. They have
taken naive Nepalese people for a ride. Although they needed to be crushed like
terrorists, the lack of resource on the part of Nepalese government meant that there was
no alternative than solving the problem through talks. It is only because of yearning for
peace that the Maoists are being allowed the space they currently occupy. They freely roam
around the capital city and hold parleys with leaders. On the contrary, there have been
news reports that cadres of the Maoists do not allow anybody from outside to enter into
what they call their "strongholds". Isn't this hypocritical? The talks should
lead to permanent peace in the country. There is no doubt about that. But there are some
scores that Nepalese people will certainly settle with the Maoists once the peace
prevails. Jyoti Khadka Illiberal Democracy The flare-ups in violence and agitations
indicate that our country is heading towards illiberal democracy ("Bankruptcy of
Wisdom" SPOTLIGHT May 2). The values like tolerance, peace and respect are in
extremely short supply. Instead, leaders are propagating culture of violence, hatred and
animosity. The harmony among different peoples of Nepal is in jeopardy. A towering
leadership is the only thing that can put the country back on right track. But will it
emerge from the current stock? Subash Bhattarai |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
