Skilled labour key to employment Growth, says Minister Bhandari

Kathmandu, May 7

Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Sarat Singh Bhandari, has said that since ‘employment’ is the only viable option for addressing job-related issues, all stakeholders must work together to achieve this goal.

Speaking at a seminar on industrial relations and labour policy jointly organised by the Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and the Japan International Labour Foundation (JILF) in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Minister Bhandari said that linking employment with skills could help generate numerous job opportunities within the country.

He added that without a skilled workforce aligned with market demand, it would not be possible to create a linkage between jobs and people.

"If we do not have a skilled labour force that meets the demands of the market, how can we link them with jobs? The key to employment is a skilled workforce," said Minister Bhandari.

According to him, the issues in the labour sector cannot be resolved by shifting blame onto one another. He said that the government, trade unions, and the private sector must collectively move forward in agreement on matters such as social security and minimum wages.

Likewise, he reiterated that no stakeholder can escape responsibility by blaming others and insisted that all parties must act responsibly to resolve the challenges faced.

"A tripartite committee is currently working on determining the minimum wage. This committee will soon propose a concrete recommendation regarding the minimum wage," he informed.

Minister Bhandari also mentioned that the government’s policies and programmes are being formulated with the protection of workers' rights in mind, and that a mandatory social security programme is being introduced accordingly. He noted that necessary laws and regulations would be amended to support this initiative.

Similarly, he asserted that the government’s policy would apply to all workers, both in the formal and informal sectors, and stressed that all stakeholders must act responsibly in this regard.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 8 May 2025.