Kathmandu May 1.

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun has called attention of the government to bring appropriate programmes in view of the coming days of working class people becoming more difficult as they cannot go to work and they would be bereft of employment due to the extension of the lockdown. In a message on the occasion of the International Workers Day or May Day, today, he urged the government to pay attention to and make necessary preparation to the situation of hundreds of thousands of Nepalis in the international labour market losing work due to the coronavirus pandemic, the unemployment that would increase in the country due to this and its impact on the country’s economy. Stating that the working class people have been hit the hardest as most of the countries have announced lockdown to prevent and control the global pandemic, Vice President Pun expressed regrets over the hardships faced by the millions of Nepali workers within the country and abroad due to this adverse situation. He believed that the world will make its upcoming programmes workers-centred and the Government of Nepal too would give appropriate attention to that end while formulating the next budget. Stating the constitution has made provisions for proper remuneration, facilities and right to contribution-based social security to every worker, the Vice President has stressed on the need of making the implementation of the constitutional provisions for the rights and welfare of the labourers more effective. National Assembly Chair’s message Meanwhile, National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina has urged the government to bring special relief programmes meant for the working class people. In a message of best wishes on the occasion of May Day, today, the Chairman of the upper house of the Federal Parliament said the special relief programmes were necessitated as the labourers within the country and abroad have become unemployed and hardest hit due to the coronavirus pandemic at present. “In such a situation, I urge the government to bring special programmes for self-employment, livelihood, employment and relief of workers and labourers who have crucial role for the overall social and economic development of the nation,” the National Assembly Chair said.