Labor pact with S Korea today

KATHMANDU, Dec 11 - Nepal is signing Tuesday the much awaited Implementing Agreement (IA) with South Korea, a technical agreement on Nepali workers under the Employment Permits System (EPS).
Keshar Bahadur Baniya, director general of the department of labor and Lee, his South Korean counterpart,
are sealing the pact on behalf
of their respective governments.

Prolonged disagreement between the two countries on the modality for imparting Korean language training to Nepali job aspirants had delayed the agreement
which was originally expected to be signed in September this year. Nepal had inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korea in July 23, 2007.
A specific curriculum for language training, skill and qualification of workers, location of workers selection, age barrier, health certification, modalities for training in Korean language and proficiency tests, among other things are part of the pact.
To address the problem of labor shortage, South Korea had enacted EPS system under which Korean employers could recruit foreign workers who will be entitled to basic rights specified in Korean labor law.
South Korea, a lucrative destination for Nepali workers, has already absorbed around 5000 Nepali workers.
Nepal was stressing that selection centers should be opened in different parts of the country to provide easy access to poor job aspirants living in remote parts of the country along with role of government to set criteria for institutes imparting Korean language training, the South Koreans had initially refused.
Both sides later came to an understanding on allowing the opening of language institutes in different parts of the country with the provision that proficiency test would be conducted jointly by the authorities from both sides under certain norms.
The government had finalized the criteria for Korean language training institutes on Friday.