Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The government has launched a national-level campaign with the objective of bringing the workers in informal employment in Nepal under the ambit of social security.

Speaking at the programme, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Rajendra Singh Bhandari said that the social security system would work as an umbrella for all. “It’s not how big the water is, it’s how strong the umbrella is. Social Security should act as a protective shield. A weak system leads to social unrest, conflict, and forced migration. This is the reality we are experiencing. ”

He said that employment, labour and social security are interlinked. He said that change should be based on the responsibility of the state and not on the individual.

On the occasion, Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Dr. Krishna Hari Pushkar said that social security is not a luxury, but a human right.

The ‘National Campaign for Social Security for Informal Workers and Self-Employment’ jointly launched by the Social Security Fund (SSF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Nepal has been seen as a decisive step towards the implementation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution.

More than 86 percent of the total workers are in informal employment. More than 90 per cent of employed women are in the informal sector.

According to the government, 27 lakh private sector workers have been registered in the Social Security Fund. The number of informal workers and those who are self-employed is only about 1500. About 80 percent of the workers are still out of access to labor and social security.

The European Union-funded women’s empowerment programme continues. José-Luis Vinuesa-Santamaría, head of the association for Nepal, described social protection as a “human right and a long-term investment in people”.

Speaking at the inauguration program, Director of Nepal Numan Ozchan said that the campaign does not want any worker to be left behind.

Statistics show that 98 percent of Madhesi Dalits are in informal employment.