|
1.
Introduction
1.1
Background
The road
to peace
Law and
order concerns
Rise of
the anftu
Improving industrial relations
National
policy priorities
1.2 Methodology
Case
studies: Union activists
1.3 Key objectives
2. The
politics of labour .
2.1
Introduction
2.2
History of modern Nepal
Beginnings of industrial relations
One-party panchayat system
Trade
unions’ role in the push for democracy
Introduction of labour legislation
Deterioration of industrial relations environment
Developments since 2000
3. The
concerns of capital .
3.1
Labour legislation
Main
labour law restrictions
3.2 Enterprise survey
Assessing the influence of legislation on investment and growth
The most
serious concerns
Lack of
skilled workers
The
impact of strikes
The
labour laws and how restrictions are overcome
Absenteeism and workplace discipline
Wages
and labour costs
Low
productivity
3.3 How to improve the Labour Act
Clarify
ambiguities
Adjust
the wage structure
Reform
the Bonus Act
3.4 Summary
4. The
complaints of labour .
4.1 Case
studies
Working
conditions
Employment security
The lure
of working abroad
4.2 Union leaders’ key areas of concern
Social
security
Labour
legislation evasion and inadequate enforcement
Permanent employment status
4.3 Labour institutions
The
Labour Office
The
Labour Court
Tripartite institutions in Nepal
4.4 Summary
5. From
insurgency to industrial conflict .
5.1 The upsurge in strikes and demonstrations
5.2 The
ANFTU campaign
Three-tier minimum wage structure
Regularization of employment contracts
ANFTU
tactics
The
ANFTU moves into the mainstream
Repercussions of the ANFTU campaign
5.3 The industrial relations environment
Promoting workers’ rights and economic development
5.4 Summary
6.
International organizations and the Nepalese labour market .
6.1 The
World Bank
The 2003
Trade and competitiveness study
The
World Bank’s change of position
The
World Bank’s Doing Business reports
World
Bank warnings
6.2 The IMF
6.3 The
ADB: A distinctive perspective
6.4 The
ILO: An integrated approach to reform
6.5 The
need for policy coherence
6.6
Summary
7. Recent attempts at reforming labour legislation
and labour market institutions .
7.1 Nepal’s Tenth Plan
7.2 The
labour ordinance of 2006
Triangular employment relationships
New
regulations for SEZs and EPZs
Obstacles to strikes
Withdrawal of the Labour Ordinance
7.3 SEZs
7.4
Backdoor ban on strikes
7.5
Restarting labour market reforms
7.6
Summary
8. The
relationship between economic trends and industrial relations .
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Trends in economic growth and the way they
correlate with labour legislation and labour market institutions
Background
Growth
levels
Patterns
in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors
Trends
in imports and exports
Stabilization and structural adjustment programme
The
impact of reforms
Reasons
behind Nepal’s economic decline
8.3 Trends in investment and the way they correlate
with labour legislation and labour market institutions
Investment pattern since 1990
8.4 Summary
9.
Employment and incomes .
9.1 Labour market trends
Labour
force participation rates
Underemployment
Employment by sector
9.2 Working poor, income inequality and poverty
ILO
estimates of working poor
NLSS
estimates of inequality and poverty
The rise
in remittances
9.3 Wages, productivity and the labour share of
output
Wage
trends
Productivity and labour costs
Rigid
labour laws versus wage flexibility
10.
Conclusions and policy recommendations
10.1
Introduction
10.2 The
case against radical labour market deregulation
10.3 The
way forward
Trade
unions
Labour
legislation and labour market institutions
Social
security reform
Need
for clarity and policy coherence
Appendix I: Chronology of key political and
industrial relations events in Nepal
Appendix II: Enterprise survey questionnaire: Investment, growth
and decent work, Nepal 2006
Appendix III: Technical note concerning the costs of selected
basic social protection benefits in Nepal 2007–2034
References
Index
|
