Government Workers Protest Inside Singhdurbar Ahead of New Fiscal Year

Temporary and daily wage government workers are protesting for a second consecutive day, halting work inside the central government secretariat, Singhdurbar, to raise voice in a recent government decision to terminate their contracts.

The demonstration follows a sit in outside the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday, as workers voice deep anxiety over their looming termination, set to take effect at the start of the new fiscal year on July 16.

According to protesting workers of government, the government plans to replace the existing workforce by hiring new staff through private outsourcing agencies.

Mass Layoffs Loom Across Government Sectors

Protesters warn that the policy shift will abruptly displace tens of thousands of long serving workers without any retirement benefits. Data from worker unions highlights the scale of the impending layoffs across different levels of government:

• Federal Level: 14,000 workers
• Provincial Level: 8,000 workers
• Local Level: 35,000 workers

Kashiraj Shrestha, president of the All Nepal Government Temporary, Contract, and Daily Wage Workers' Union, stated that the impact could widen significantly if school and healthcare workers are factored in. "If we include similar temporary workers in education and health, this decision will push nearly 200,000 people out of their jobs," Shrestha said.