Second Day of Protests Disrupts Work at Singhdurbar

Temporary, contract, and daily wage government workers staged protests for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, disrupting work at the central government secretariat, Singhdurbar, in opposition to the government's decision to terminate their contracts from the start of the new fiscal year on July 16. The demonstration comes a day after workers held a sit-in outside the Ministry of Finance, expressing concern over the government's plan to replace the existing workforce through private outsourcing agencies. According to workers' unions, the decision could affect around 57,000 employees, including 14,000 at the federal level, 8,000 at the provincial level, and 35,000 at the local level. Kashiraj Shrestha, President of the All Nepal Government Temporary, Contract, and Daily Wage Workers' Union, warned that the number could rise to nearly 200,000 if temporary employees in the education and health sectors are also included. Protesters say the policy would leave long-serving workers unemployed without retirement benefits and have urged the government to withdraw the decision.