Paying workers below minimum wage is punishable: PM Oli

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stated that employing workers for wages below the legal minimum under any pretext is punishable.

Speaking at the 78th anniversary of the Nepali trade union movement, organized by the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Oli said that even nurses are reportedly not receiving the minimum wage. “No employer is allowed to pay workers less than the legally mandated amount,” he said.

Stating that industries and businesses cannot function smoothly unless workers are satisfied, Oli emphasized the need to create an environment where workers can transition into employers.

“During the struggle for system change, our comrades were killed, but our objectives were not. We were imprisoned, but our aspirations were never locked away,” Oli, who is also the chairperson of the CPN-UML, said. “Now, we must move forward in line with the essence of change. The government, employers, and workers must engage in dialogue based on international principles to achieve a ‘win-win’ situation.”