Foreign employment agencies call off protest after talks with labour ministry

The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies has called off its planned protest programs after successful talks with the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment. The association agreed to cease all forms of pressure and demonstrations following an understanding reached with the ministry on Friday.

The discussions, which included the labor minister and ministry secretary, centered on the association's 15-point list of demands. These demands had prompted protests since August 7, with the association previously threatening to halt the deployment of Nepali workers abroad from August 23 if their concerns were not met.

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The ministry said most of the issues raised by the recruitment agencies were policy matters requiring amendments to the Foreign Employment Act, 2007 and its regulations.

The ministry acknowledged that many of the recruitment agencies' issues require policy changes, specifically amendments to the Foreign Employment Act, 2007, and its associated regulations. The ministry committed to expediting these amendments to foster a more transparent, safe, and dignified foreign employment sector. They also discussed administrative steps to resolve issues faced by recruitment agencies, allowing them to submit additional evidence to the Department of Foreign Employment for facilitation, with unresolved cases appealable to the ministry.

This agreement has successfully prevented potential disruptions for thousands of Nepalis awaiting overseas employment. The association's threat to halt worker departures had created significant uncertainty for both workers and the broader foreign employment industry.

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It pledged to make maximum efforts to complete the amendment process as soon as possible, with the stated aim of making the foreign employment sector more transparent, safe and dignified.