Nepal-United Kingdom to ink labor agreement next week

KATHMANDU: A labor agreement will be signed between Nepal and the United Kingdom next week. As the final draft has been prepared by the committee comprising representatives of both the countries formed to draft the labor agreement, it is going to be signed next week.

On Friday, British Ambassador to Nepal Nicola Polit paid a courtesy call on Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha and discussed preparations for a labor agreement.

During the meeting held at the Ministry, various issues of mutual interest and relations between Nepal and the United Kingdom since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1816 BS were discussed.

Talking about the glorious relations with the United Kingdom in the field of labor immigration, Minister Shrestha said that the practice of going to third countries for employment from Nepal started from the process of enlistment in the British Army.

Minister Shrestha thanked the members of the Drafting Committee of the Labor Memorandum, saying that for the first time outside the security sector, Nepalis were getting employment opportunities in the UK through the joint efforts of the participating delegates for the preparation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Nepal and the United Kingdom.

Stating that the UK is ready to send 2,000 nurses for employment in the beginning, Minister Shrestha said that the UK government is expected to assist in the capacity building of the Department of Foreign Employment, scholarship opportunities and capacity building of nursing colleges.

Minister Shrestha said he had plans to build a hospital with at least 100 beds of nursing colleges in Tanahu district of Gandaki and hoped for help from the British government.

Talking about the world class quality of health education in Nepal, he expressed confidence that besides nurses, doctors, pharmacists and lab technicians would also get employment in the UK.

During the meeting, the possibility of finding employment for Nepali workers in the UK in other fields such as construction, driving, agriculture, hotel business was also discussed.

Earlier, Minister Shrestha had taken the initiative to establish labor relations with the United Kingdom in search of a new employment destination.

Representatives of the UK’s Department of Health Services and the National Health Service, as well as representatives of the British Embassy in Kathmandu and the Government of Nepal have discussed the draft MoU at various stages.

Nurses going to the UK for employment do not have to pay any fees.

Minister Shrestha said that he was looking for an attractive destination while diversifying foreign employment.