30,443 rupees minimum wage for workers, says JTUCC

Kathmandu, July 8: The Joint Trade Union Coordination Centre (JTUCC) has demanded that the minimum wage for workers be fixed at Rs 30,443 per month.

At a press conference organised here today, JTUCC President Jagat Bahadur Simkhada stated that, considering the current market price and the minimum standard of living for a family, the monthly expenditure for a four-member family is approximately Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. “Based on scientific, comparative and practical grounds, the minimum wage for workers should be Rs 30,443 per month.”

He also drew the attention of the government, employers, and stakeholders to the issues of an immediate review of the minimum wage, full implementation of the Contribution-Based Social Security Act, and amendments to labour laws. If these demands are not addressed, a joint protest will start on July 10. The JTUCC is a common platform of Nepali worker organisations.

It serves as the coordinating mechanism of 10 recognised National Trade Unions. The government has a constitutional obligation to review the minimum wage of workers every two years. The last time the government set a monthly wage of Rs 17,300 in 2080 BS, he said. Similarly, the JTUCC has also demanded that necessary initiatives be taken to implement the Supreme Court’s decision on the fundamental right to organize, collective bargaining, fair labour practices, and the provision of a contribution-based social security scheme.

The Center has also drawn the attention of the government to immediately correct the nominations that it said are contrary to the spirit of tripartite representation in the Board of Directors of the Social Security Fund.