International Labour Organization (ILO) in co-operation with Four Major Trade Union National Centres (ANFTU, DECONT, GEFONT and NTUC) organized a half-day interaction program with political parties and press/media representatives to discuss about workers rights issue during up-coming constituent assembly election in Nepal.

Highlighting on the objectives Mr Shengjie Li, ILO/Nepal Director opined that the Interim Constitution has laid foundation for protecting workers rights and, by making workers issues agenda in up-coming election; we can expect them to be enshrined in the new constitution.

Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mr Ramesh Lekhak, in his remarks as the Chief Guest expressed that the new constitution after the CA election will continue to protect workers rights like in the interim constitution.

Senior leader of CPN-UML Mr Jhala Nath Khanal expressed that his party is ready to discuss with the trade unions for making fair representation of workers in the CA seats. However, suitable proposals with appropriate representation mechanism should come from the Trade Unions, he expressed.

Mr Saloman Rajbanshi, ILO Program Officer and Mr Umesh Upadhyaya, Deputy General Secretary of GEFONT presented papers on ILO Standards and Workers' issues in the first technical session chaired by Mr Khila Nath Dahal, Acting President of DECONT. Mr Laxman Basnet, President of NTUC while chairing the second technical session, expressed his utter surprise on Government's slackness for ratifying the fundamental ILO Convention (87) for protecting the rights of peaceful assembly. Mr Badri Bajgain, vice president of ANFTU has welcomed the participants in the program in which a total of 47 people from different political parties and press/media participated in.

Trade Union representatives, participating in the interaction raised Maternity Protection and Social Security as high priority issues in Nepalese political context and urged the government and political parties to dwell on these issues during the CA election campaigns.