The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday barred trade unions from being involved in political activities. The apex court also ruled that trade unions would have to limit their activities to collective bargaining.
A single bench of Justice Cholendra Shamsher JBR has issued an interim order to this effect.
The SC's ruling on the role and activities of trade unions was a response to a writ petition filed by advocate Arjun Kumar Aryal. Aryal had filed a writ petition on 8 April, demanding that all trade unions affiliated to political parties be declared illegal and a single authoritative trade union be formed.
In his writ petition, where Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Ministry of General Administration (MoGA), Department of Labour (DoL) and various other organisations were named as defendants, Aryal had claimed that political activities by trade unions had tarnished the image of government offices.
As per Nepal's Interim Constitution-2007, civil servants and industry-based workers can form trade unions to protect their collective rights and interests. Civil Service Act-1993 also allows civil servants to form trade unions.
However, Aryal claimed, in his writ petition, that trade unions were using their political connections to influence promotions and transfers of civil servants against spirits of the constitution and the act.