The Labour Act, 2017 — Policy Nepal

Type: Act
Year: २०७४ BS · 2017 AD
Status: In force
Category: खण्ड ९: पर्यटन, श्रम तथा यातायात · Volume 9: Tourism, Labor and Transport
Official text: Official page Official text (PDF) Official text (PDF)

Used on our issue pages

Jobs and enterprise

Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.

What it does

The Act sets the minimum standard for all employment covered by it. Any employment contract that gives a worker less pay or fewer benefits than the Act or its rules is void to that extent. It bans forced labour, bans employing children against the law, bans discrimination by employers on grounds such as religion, sex, caste, origin, language or belief, and requires equal pay for work of equal value regardless of sex. Every worker has the right to form or join a trade union.यो ऐनले आफूले समेट्ने सबै रोजगारीका लागि न्यूनतम मापदण्ड तोक्छ। ऐन वा नियमले तोकेभन्दा कम पारिश्रमिक वा सुविधा दिने गरी गरिएको रोजगार सम्झौता त्यति हदसम्म बदर हुन्छ। ऐनले बाँधा श्रम र कानूनविपरीत बालबालिकालाई काममा लगाउन निषेध गर्छ, रोजगारदाताले धर्म, लिङ्ग, जात, उत्पत्ति, भाषा वा आस्थाजस्ता आधारमा भेदभाव गर्न पाउँदैन, र लिङ्गका आधारमा समान मूल्यको कामका लागि पारिश्रमिकमा भेदभाव गर्न पाइँदैन। प्रत्येक श्रमिकलाई ट्रेड युनियन खोल्ने वा त्यसमा आबद्ध हुने अधिकार छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 3–8 (Chapter 2), pp. 5–6
Employers may hire workers on regular, work-based, time-bound, casual or part-time terms, but must sign an employment contract with every worker except casual workers. Whether a job is 'regular' is decided by the nature of the work, not by what the contract says. Normal working time is capped at 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week, with a half-hour break after 5 hours. Overtime is limited to 4 hours a day and 24 hours a week and must be paid at one and a half times the basic wage.रोजगारदाताले श्रमिकलाई नियमित, कार्यगत, समयगत, आकस्मिक वा आंशिक रोजगारीमा राख्न सक्छन्, तर आकस्मिकबाहेक सबै श्रमिकसँग रोजगार सम्झौता गर्नुपर्छ। कुनै रोजगारी नियमित हो वा होइन भन्ने कुरा सम्झौतामा लेखिएकोभन्दा कामको प्रकृतिका आधारमा निर्धारण हुन्छ। सामान्य कार्यसमय दिनको ८ घण्टा र हप्ताको ४८ घण्टाभन्दा बढी हुन पाउँदैन, र लगातार ५ घण्टा काम गरेपछि आधा घण्टा विश्राम दिनुपर्छ। थप समय काम दिनको ४ घण्टा र हप्ताको २४ घण्टासम्म मात्र लगाउन पाइन्छ, र त्यसबापत आधारभूत पारिश्रमिकको डेढी रकम दिनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 10–12, pp. 7–8; Sections 28–31, p. 14
Employers must deposit, from the day a worker starts, a provident fund contribution (10% deducted from basic pay plus 10% added by the employer) and a gratuity contribution of 8.33% of basic pay into the worker's account at the Social Security Fund. They must also buy medical insurance of at least Rs 100,000 a year (premium shared half and half) and accident insurance of at least Rs 700,000 (premium paid by the employer). Employers who contribute to the social security scheme under the Social Security Fund law do not have to make these payments separately to the extent covered.रोजगारदाताले श्रमिकले काम सुरु गरेकै दिनदेखि सञ्चय कोषबापत आधारभूत पारिश्रमिकबाट १० प्रतिशत कट्टा गरी त्यसमा १० प्रतिशत थप गरेर, र उपदानबापत आधारभूत पारिश्रमिकको ८.३३ प्रतिशत रकम सामाजिक सुरक्षा कोषमा श्रमिकको नाममा जम्मा गर्नुपर्छ। साथै वार्षिक कम्तीमा एक लाख रुपैयाँको औषधि उपचार बीमा (शुल्क आधाआधा) र कम्तीमा सात लाख रुपैयाँको दुर्घटना बीमा (पूरै शुल्क रोजगारदाताले) गराउनुपर्छ। सामाजिक सुरक्षा कोषसम्बन्धी कानूनअनुसार योगदान गर्ने रोजगारदाताले त्यति हदसम्म यी रकम छुट्टै तिर्नु पर्दैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 52–55 and 57 (Chapter 10), pp. 21–24
The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security fixes the minimum wage every two years on the recommendation of a standing Minimum Wage Fixation Committee made up of government, trade union and employer representatives; if the committee cannot agree, the Ministry fixes it itself. The new minimum wage takes effect from the first day of the fiscal year unless unions and employers agree otherwise.श्रम, रोजगार तथा सामाजिक सुरक्षा मन्त्रालयले सरकार, ट्रेड युनियन र रोजगारदाता सङ्गठनका प्रतिनिधि रहेको स्थायी न्यूनतम पारिश्रमिक निर्धारण समितिको सिफारिसमा प्रत्येक दुई वर्षमा न्यूनतम पारिश्रमिक तोक्छ; समितिमा सहमति नभए मन्त्रालय आफैँले तोक्छ। ट्रेड युनियन र रोजगारदाताबीच अर्को सहमति नभएमा नयाँ न्यूनतम पारिश्रमिक नयाँ आर्थिक वर्षको पहिलो दिनदेखि लागू हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 106–107 (Chapter 16), pp. 53–54
Enforcement rests with Labour and Employment Offices and their labour and occupational safety and health inspectors. Every establishment must carry out an annual labour audit and show it to the office or inspector on request; employers must adopt a workplace safety and health policy, and establishments with 20 or more workers must form a safety and health committee. Disputes go to the Labour Court (a chair and two members qualified to be High Court judges), whose original decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court within 35 days.ऐन कार्यान्वयनको जिम्मा श्रम तथा रोजगार कार्यालय र त्यसका श्रम तथा व्यवसायजन्य सुरक्षा र स्वास्थ्य निरीक्षकको हो। प्रत्येक प्रतिष्ठानले वार्षिक श्रम अडिट गरी कार्यालय वा निरीक्षकले मागेका बेला देखाउनुपर्छ; रोजगारदाताले कार्यस्थलको सुरक्षा र स्वास्थ्य नीति बनाउनुपर्छ, र २० वा बढी श्रमिक भएको प्रतिष्ठानले सुरक्षा तथा स्वास्थ्य समिति गठन गर्नुपर्छ। विवाद श्रम अदालतमा जान्छ (अध्यक्ष र दुई सदस्य, सबै उच्च अदालतको न्यायाधीश हुन योग्य), र श्रम अदालतले शुरू कारबाहीमा गरेको फैसलाउपर ३५ दिनभित्र सर्वोच्च अदालतमा पुनरावेदन लाग्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 68, 74 (Chapter 12), pp. 29, 33; Sections 93–100 (Chapter 15), pp. 44–49; Sections 151–153 and 161 (Chapter 22), pp. 78–81
The Act does not apply to the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force or the National Investigation Department; civil servants are covered by civil service law; and services created by special laws follow those laws where they set terms and benefits. Where no other law sets a worker's pay and conditions, this Act applies automatically. It also lets the government allow use of labour through licensed labour suppliers, who must be licensed and may not charge workers fees.यो ऐन नेपाली सेना, नेपाल प्रहरी, सशस्त्र प्रहरी बल र राष्ट्रिय अनुसन्धान विभागमा लागू हुँदैन; निजामती कर्मचारीका हकमा निजामती सेवासम्बन्धी कानून लागू हुन्छ; र विशेष कानूनले गठन गरेका सेवामा सोही कानूनले सेवाका शर्त र सुविधा तोकेको भए सोहीअनुसार हुन्छ। कुनै श्रमिकको पारिश्रमिक र सेवाका शर्त अरू कानूनले नतोकेमा यही ऐन स्वतः लागू हुन्छ। सरकारले इजाजतप्राप्त श्रमिक आपूर्तिकर्तामार्फत श्रमिक लगाउन अनुमति दिन सक्छ; आपूर्तिकर्ताले इजाजत लिनुपर्छ र श्रमिकसँग शुल्क लिन पाउँदैन। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 180 (as amended 2082), pp. 90–91; Sections 58–59 and 67 (Chapter 11), pp. 24–29

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

Not enforced Labour audits are filed but not acted on. The Act requires every establishment to do an annual labour audit. The Auditor General found the Department of Labour and Occupational Safety collected 4,139 audit reports against a target of 5,000 in 2080/81 and 'has not been able to play an effective role' in getting them acted on; in 2081/82 it collected 4,274 against the same target, and the Auditor General again said the reports should be acted on.श्रम अडिट प्रतिवेदन सङ्कलन त हुन्छ, तर त्यसअनुसार काम हुँदैन। ऐनले हरेक प्रतिष्ठानलाई वार्षिक श्रम अडिट गर्न बाध्य गरेको छ। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार श्रम तथा व्यवसायजन्य सुरक्षा विभागले २०८०/८१ मा ५,००० को लक्ष्यमा ४,१३९ प्रतिवेदन सङ्कलन गर्‍यो, तर तिनको कार्यान्वयन गराउन ‘प्रभावकारी भूमिका निर्वाह गर्न सकेको देखिँदैन’। २०८१/८२ मा उही लक्ष्यमा ४,२७४ प्रतिवेदन सङ्कलन भए, र महालेखापरीक्षकले फेरि प्रतिवेदन कार्यान्वयन गराउनुपर्ने भनेको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 13, printed p. 504; OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 13, printed p. 468; Labour Act s. 100, p. 49
Not enforced Occupational safety and health rules are weakly enforced and inspection lacks tools. In two successive years the Auditor General reported that the Department's own inspection reports found establishments that had not formed safety and health committees, had no safety and health policy, did not manage waste and did not provide helmets, gloves or other protective gear; it also found inspectors were not using the equipment needed to measure workplace light and noise, and that no temperature standard had been prepared.पेशागत सुरक्षा र स्वास्थ्यसम्बन्धी व्यवस्था कमजोर रूपमा लागू भएका छन् र निरीक्षणका लागि आवश्यक उपकरणको प्रयोग भएको छैन। महालेखापरीक्षकले लगातार दुई वर्ष विभागकै निरीक्षण प्रतिवेदनमा प्रतिष्ठानहरूले सुरक्षा तथा स्वास्थ्य समिति गठन नगरेको, सुरक्षा तथा स्वास्थ्य नीति नबनाएको, फोहोरमैलाको उचित व्यवस्थापन नगरेको र हेल्मेट, पन्जा जस्ता सुरक्षा सामग्री उपलब्ध नगराएको देखिएको उल्लेख गरेको छ। साथै कार्यस्थलको प्रकाश र ध्वनि नाप्ने आवश्यक उपकरण प्रयोग नभएको र तापक्रमसम्बन्धी मापदण्ड नबनेको पनि औँल्याएको छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 14, printed p. 504; OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 14, printed p. 468; Labour Act ss. 68 and 74, pp. 29, 33
Not enforced The requirement to replace foreign workers with trained Nepalis is not monitored. Employers who get a labour permit for a foreign worker must gradually train Nepali citizens to replace them. The Auditor General found that although the Department requires a replacement plan when it grants permits (2,685 permits in 2080/81; 2,559 in 2081/82), it did not monitor whether the plans were carried out, nor follow up on foreigners who did not take or renew permits.विदेशी श्रमिकको सट्टा दक्ष नेपाली तयार गर्ने व्यवस्थाको अनुगमन भएको छैन। विदेशी श्रमिकका लागि श्रम इजाजत लिने रोजगारदाताले नेपाली नागरिकलाई दक्ष बनाई क्रमशः विदेशी श्रमिक प्रतिस्थापन गर्नुपर्छ। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार विभागले श्रम स्वीकृति दिँदा (२०८०/८१ मा २,६८५ र २०८१/८२ मा २,५५९ जनालाई) प्रतिस्थापन योजना माग गरे पनि त्यसको कार्यान्वयन र श्रम स्वीकृति नलिने वा नवीकरण नगर्नेको अनुगमन गरेको पाइएन। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 15, printed p. 504; OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 15, printed p. 468; Labour Act s. 22(5), p. 13
Capacity Social security coverage is below plan targets. The Act requires provident fund and gratuity for every worker to be deposited in the Social Security Fund. The Auditor General reported that, against 15th Plan targets of 30,000 establishments and 2.5 million contributors, about 19,000 establishments and 1.49 million contributors had joined by 2080/81; in 2081/82 the Fund had 20,976 establishments and 2,380,180 contributors.सामाजिक सुरक्षाको दायरा योजनाको लक्ष्यभन्दा कम छ। ऐनले हरेक श्रमिकको सञ्चय कोष र उपदान रकम सामाजिक सुरक्षा कोषमा जम्मा गर्नुपर्ने व्यवस्था गरेको छ। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार पन्ध्रौँ योजनाले ३० हजार प्रतिष्ठान र २५ लाख योगदानकर्ता समेट्ने लक्ष्य राखेकोमा २०८०/८१ सम्म करिब १९ हजार प्रतिष्ठान र १४ लाख ९१ हजार योगदानकर्ता मात्र आबद्ध भएका थिए; २०८१/८२ मा कोषमा २०,९७६ प्रतिष्ठान र २३,८०,१८० योगदानकर्ता आबद्ध थिए। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 4 (periodic plan targets), printed p. 500; OAG 63rd Annual Report, MoLESS chapter, para 5, printed p. 465; Labour Act ss. 52–53, pp. 21–22

Ideas to fix it

Improve the quality of labour audits and make sure the reports collected are acted on.श्रम अडिटलाई गुणस्तरीय बनाउने र सङ्कलित प्रतिवेदनअनुसार कार्यान्वयन गराउने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd and 63rd Annual Reports) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
Improve workplace health and safety arrangements, including measuring light and noise with proper equipment and preparing a temperature standard.उपयुक्त उपकरणबाट प्रकाश र ध्वनि मापन गर्ने र तापक्रमसम्बन्धी मापदण्ड तयार गर्नेलगायत कार्यस्थलको स्वास्थ्य र सुरक्षा व्यवस्था सुधार गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd and 63rd Annual Reports) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
The Department of Labour and Occupational Safety should play an effective role in replacing foreign workers with skilled Nepali workers, including monitoring replacement plans.श्रम तथा व्यवसायजन्य सुरक्षा विभागले प्रतिस्थापन योजनाको अनुगमनसहित विदेशी श्रमिकको सट्टा दक्ष नेपाली श्रमिक तयार गर्ने काममा प्रभावकारी भूमिका खेल्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd and 63rd Annual Reports) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal

In research

Where it conflicts with other laws

Provisions that overlap or contradict other laws, or the Constitution, with the conflicting sections side by side.

Regulations and rules made under it

श्रम (पहिलो संशोधन) नियमावली, २०८० Status not yet confirmed
श्रम नियमावली, २०७५ In force

Suggest an improvement or point out a loophole

श्रम ऐन, २०७४