Nepal: Illegal Detentions & Union Deregistrations

Nepal: Illegal detention and deregistration of unions is serious cause for concern

Brussels, 5 September 2004 (ICFTU Online): The continued illegal detention of a senior figure in the Nepalese trade union movement is sparking further cause for concern about trade union rights violations in the Southern Asian country.

Kidnapped from his home on 3rd June 2004, the Deputy General Secretary of the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) Prem Singh Bohora, is still being held by Maoist terrorists with no sign of an imminent release. Calling once again (*) on the Nepalese government to immediately launch an investigation into Bohora's kidnapping, the ICFTU is underlining the authorities responsibility to take action to secure Bohora's release (click here for letter http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991220498&Language=EN ).

In its correspondence to the Nepalese Prime Minister Deuba, the ICFTU also strongly protested against the deregistration 3 NTUC branch unions, as instructed by the Labour Office and the Director General of the Registrar. These branch unions cover the Nepal Food Cooperation, Nepal Oil Cooperation and Nepal Drinking Water Cooperation. Workers are now being pushed towards joining another labour organisation - DECONT- thus depriving them of their right to join the trade union of their choice.

The ICFTU has received information of the cases of 22 enterprises which have closed down having received exposed threats from the Maoist trade union - the All Nepal Trade Union Federation. As the world's largest trade union, the ICFTU expressed alarm "at the lack of [worker] security, whose livelihoods have been put at risk by the closures. There is an almost tangible climate of fear amongst trade unionists and workers whose legitimate trade union activities are being seriously hampered by threats to their security. The Nepalese government needs to ensure that the workers' rights are being fully respected".

* The ICFTU first protested about the kidnapping of Bohora to the Nepalese government in June 2004 http://www.icftu.org/displaydocument.asp?Index=991220184&Language=EN

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