Kathmandu: It has been emphasized that the Nepal Electricity Authority should neither be unbundled nor privatized.
The speakers at the inauguration ceremony of the 13th convention of the Authority’s Employees’ Union, held on Friday, expressed the view that the Nepal Electricity Authority should neither be unbundled nor privatized.
Tejendra Karki, Acting President of the Nepal Trade Union Congress, stated that the Nepal Water Supply Corporation was split into four parts, resulting in a situation where employees of the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Limited (KVWSL) are now unable to receive their salaries. Therefore, he emphasized that the Nepal Electricity Authority should not be unbundled or privatized. Citing that employees of Sajha Publications have not received their salaries for the past three years, he stressed the need to strengthen the Authority instead.
Acting President Karki stated that organizations like the Dairy Development Corporation and Udayapur Cement Industry have still not been able to provide gratuity to their retired employees.
Rajendra Dahal, President of the Public Service Employees’ Union, expressed his objection, stating that there is an attempt to privatize well-functioning public institutions and bring them to ruin.
Trade Union Congress Vice President Radhika Kuinkel, General Secretary Ajay Kumar Rai, President of the NEA National Employees Union Rameshwar Paudel, President of the NEA Employees Union Ram Kumar Thebe, Union Vice President Tanka Adhikari, General Secretary Dhimantraj Nyaupane, and other speakers drew the management’s attention to several issues: that the Nepal Electricity Authority should not be unbundled or privatized, that the official trade union election—which was supposed to be completed by May 19th—has not yet taken place, and that even permanent employees are being provided with unequal benefits. It was mentioned that the convention will elect a new leadership.
Source: Ratopati
