The April movement in Nepal compelled the autocratic king to surrender to the power of the people. He announced the reinstatement of the House of Representatives after four years of dissolution, following the 19-day long historical general strike and in the face of an uncontrollable outpouring into the streets everywhere of the masses in support of the movement. The House of Representatives issued a number of declarations, based on the mandate of the people, to change the present ruling structure. Among them is one that allows for the expansion of trade union rights to government employees also.

On 11 May 2006, the reinstated House of Representatives adopted a proposal allowing senior government officials to participate in trade unions and to stage protests for professional rights.

With the endorsement of the proposal by the House, civil servants and government officials — barring security personnel, office heads responsible for managerial works and those holding positions equivalent to Gazetted First Class or above — ‘can enjoy fundamental trade union rights guaranteed by ILO Conventions’. The endorsed proposal said, ‘HoR directs the government to make necessary legal arrangements in the Labor Act and the Trade Union Act.’

Definitely the motion has recognised the role of employees because civil servants, professionals and various trade unions actively joined the popular movement. It is a significant step to sustaining the movement’s achievements and fulfilling the promise of topmost leaders of the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) to ensure trade union rights, once democracy is restored.

 On May 18, the General Federation of Nepalese Trade (GEFONT) Unions’ National Council meeting concluded after adopting various resolutions. The Council reviewed the earlier political and organisational activities and endorsed the annual programme tabled by the GEFONT Secretariat. The GEFONT National Council meets annually and guides the country’s National Executive Committee on Policies and Programmes.

The adopted resolutions are as follows:

The Council pays tribute to the martyrs of the Loktantrik movement and extends condolence to the bereaved families. It extends best wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured comrades-in-the-movement and demands a proper relief arrangement with due compensation. It also extends its heartiest thanks to all workers, their families, members and affiliates for their heroic participation and contribution in the Loktantrik movement. The Council welcomes and supports the proclamation of the House of Representatives, fully establishing the Nepali Peoples’ sovereignty as the sources of state-power and requests the Nepal government to announce that Jeth 04 (May 18) be celebrated every year as the Loktantrik Day. It proposes that the Nepal government, led by the SPA, formulates and executes every policy collectively, despite the earlier practice of running ministries differently, according to the policies of the leading parties in the coalition. The Council demands stern action be taken against those who suppressed the movement brutally and endorses the ongoing initiatives of single unionism, considering the goals of dignifying the working class and of prosperity. It calls for the trade union wing of the CPN (Maoist) to come forward in legitimate spirit and ask to join the mainstream of single union initiatives. The Council instructs all affiliates and local structures to start a series of discussions on the effective participation and inclusion of workers during the process of the Constituent Assembly elections, and afterwards in the new Loktantra. It urges the House of Representatives to create a legitimate body of the SPA, CPN (Maoist), and Civil Society Organisations, including the trade unions, that will function as the consultative political body for Nepal government prior to the election of the Constituent Assembly. The Council requests that it be ensured that, ‘No unelected Customary Power in the name of Divinity may rule over Sovereign People.’ It demands that the Nepal government provides citizenship to the children, based on the mother’s or the father’s names, repealing the existing discriminatory practices, and declares the annulment of all discriminatory laws based on gender. Moreover, it appeals, on behalf of the working class, for the inclusion of gender, ethnicity and regional diversity based on the class structure of the Nepali society. It urges the CPN (Maoist) and the SPA to guarantee sustainable peace and radical transformation through the process of dialogue based on the 12-point understanding, with a view to establish Loktantra and to end the violent war. It also demands that wages be provided for the period of the general strike during the Loktantrik movement, and that closed and sick industries begin operations immediately.

On 24 May, a high-level joint delegation of trade unions led by GEFONT Chairperson along with the Presidents of NTUC and DECONT met the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and congratulated him for the landmark proclamation of the House of Representatives. The union leaders assured the PM that the trade unions, as the good partners of the SPA, would continue their cooperation in order to strengthen the newly established Loktantra.

The unions handed over a list of suggestions to the PM. These included increasing the minimum wages of the workers, based on the present-day price hike; scrapping all political appointments made by the autocratic government without delay; guaranteeing the inclusiveness of workers right through the forthcoming new Constitution; introducing new legislation in order to launch a new single trade union; annuling the Essential Services Act 1957 and the ordinance to amend the Civil Services Act, including other anti-worker laws; ratifying ILO Conventions 87, 105 & 102; amending the Trade Union Act 1992, to ensure trade union rights to all employees working in banks, financial institutions and other public enterprises, and the workers of informal economy; ensuring social security to all workers; guaranteeing unions’ representation in national policy-making bodies and ensuring legal provision for union representation in management; declaring  May 1 and March 8 as national holidays; taking stern action against those managements and boards of directors that supported the regressive regime and aided to suppress the Loktantrik movement; and punishing those who misused the national treasury from central banks, various commercial banks and financial institutions.