More than 600 workers complain of not getting festival expenses

Kathmandu. More than 600 workers have filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Occupational Security, alleging that they have not received the festival expenses as per the law.

After the complaint, the department has directed the employers and establishments to implement the legal provisions. According to the department, more than 600 complaints were received through email and online portals during office hours before Dashain.

The department has said that necessary action has been taken on the complaint. According to Section 37 of the Labor Act, 2074, every worker should get an amount equal to the basic salary of one month as festival expenses. There is a legal provision that such expenses should be provided during the same festival if the worker demands expenses for a particular festival, and in Dashain, if he does not demand it.

Workers who have not completed one year of service period should be given festival expenses proportionately on the basis of the period of work. However, the workers have filed a complaint saying that they have not received the festival expenses despite the legal provisions. According to Chakrapani Pandey, director general of the Department of Labor and Occupational Security, the department has taken necessary action on the complaints received.

The Department has sent a letter to the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce on October 9, urging them to inform the employers and establishments about the legal provisions and make arrangements to provide festival expenses to workers.

Likewise, on October 12, the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal (PABSON) and National Private and Board Schools Association of Nepal (NPABSAN) have been asked to ensure expenses for festivals of private schools, asking them to ensure expenses required for festivals.

It is said that after the instructions of the department, the process of providing festival expenses to the workers has started. The department has said that efforts are being made to resolve the problem by contacting the concerned employer on the basis of complaints received through social media in addition to the complaints received from the formal complaints.