KATHMANDU, June 30: Employees of a number of commercial banks on Wednesday staged protests against the Social Security Fund (SSF) expressing their dissatisfaction over being taken to the SSF forcibly, without addressing their grievances.
Bankers associated with Nabil Bank, Siddhartha Bank, Nepal Bangladesh Bank, Everest Bank, Bank of Kathmandu and Machhapuchchhre Bank, among others, staged sit-in protests on the premises of the concerned banks. According to the bankers, if they join the SSF, many of the benefits that they are enjoying at present will be snatched away.
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The government is making it mandatory for private firms to be incorporated in the SSF from the commencement of the new fiscal year. While the state-owned SSF has turned firm on its decision, employees of commercial banks and insurance companies in particular have been demanding the government first amend the Social Security Act 2018 to take them to the SSF.
The workers of the banks and insurance companies have also been blaming the government for ignoring the property rights ensured by the Constitution. They criticized the government for turning jealous of the ‘good perks and benefits’ that employees of the banking sector are receiving.
The employees’ unions of the banks had earlier submitted a 14-point recommendation to the fund. According to them, they will continue their protests if the SSF turns apathetic to reconsider its provisions.
