A morning rally was taken out to World Day for Safety and Health at Work here today with a morning procession demanding safety and health for all at workplaces.

According to The Himalayan Times, representatives from various organisations participated in the rally organised by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. The rally started from Basantapur and went around different parts of the city before converging at Tundikhel.

Addressing the gathering, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista said the government would give high priority to ensure safety and health at workplaces in line with the international standards.

“A lot needs to be done to make our workplaces safe and decent which demands collective action from the government, workers, employers and development partners of Nepal,” he said. Mahesh Prasad Dahal, secretary at the ministry, said more investment was needed to ensure safety and health of workers.

“It is not that employers are not doing anything. The point is they need to make a bigger contribution because health of workers is also in the interest of enterprises,” he said.

Richard Howard, Director of International Labour Organisation Country Office for Nepal, said the need of the hour was to create more jobs for young people. “As we strive for economic growth, we also need to think about the basic rights of workers, decent work and fair wages,” said Howard.

This year, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the World Day against Child Labour have come together in a joint campaign to improve the safety and health of young workers and end child labour.