Last Word

Holiday Niti

By Chanakya

This year the number of holidays outnumbered the days of work. This is more true in the context of Kathmandu valley where establishments are closed for two days for the weekend. There also were undeclared holidays thanks to the bandhs courtesy the political parties, student unions and public transport operators among others. The unfortunate event in June led to several days of additional closures. The time has come to examine the policies relating to holidays. Can we, in a global market that is open twenty-four hours of the day, three hundred sixty five days of the year, decide to work only five days a week, forty weeks a year? Why should in today’s world of internet online banking, banks be restricted to work for only eight hours a day - five days a week? Just because the central bank needs weekly breaks in the style of the government ? Why markets close on Saturdays when the shoppers have only that day as a holiday and so free to shop?

There has been ample debate on five-day week versus six-day week but never have the real issues been addressed. One has to understand that the economy has to function all the time of the day and all the time of the year, but employees may have to work for just forty hours a week. If people in the transport sector, medical service sector, airlines, hospitality industry and other industries can work all the time of the week, why cannot the others in rest of the sectors? If everything can work three shifts in countries like China, why not here? Why should tea garden workers pluck tea for only eight hours a day when there is fourteen hours of daylight? It is true that a particular worker cannot work for fourteen hours, but there can be two sets of people working seven hours each. We have started to mistake worker benefits with less work for more pay. We need to understand that the welfare of the worker will improve only when the productivity of the worker improves.

The tendency of complacency has over flown from the government sector to all the rest of sectors making a job more of a subsidy to existence than a means for existence. Therefore, people rejoice at bandhs and other forms of work closure by force, as there is always lesser time for work during such closures. This attitude has been responsible for the success of the successive bandhs, be it organised by national parties or groups propagating ethnic issues. One always thinks that bandhs come as a bonus.

The time has also come to look at our laws relating to national mourning and celebrating birthdays and anniversaries - be it political or religious. No leader, who has put in all his blood, sweat and tears to the development of the nation, would like the nation to remain closed in his name. The time has come to review all policies regarding such closures.

The future of Nepal does depend on tourism and tourism depends on days the nation remains open. The early closure of eating places or museums deprives the country of its income. Tourists need banks and information centres that are open 24 hours a day. They need transportation facility all days of the week. Why do all markets have to shut on the same day? Why cannot Boudha market be closed on Mondays and Thamel market on Tuesday instead of both closing on Saturdays?

There is essentially a clear-cut niti required. Yes, the labour and the jobholders should not be penalised, but it does not mean that they should gain at the cost of the enterprise or the nation. Worker’s welfare means working stipulated number of hours each week, a good break each year, time off when he/she is genuinely sick and time off to attend his/her religious ceremonies. However, from the government and the enterprise perspective there should be no closure of a service that is required all the time of the day, all the time of the year. Our economy has lost enough due to holidays, a niti is immediately required to ensure that the losses are minimised in future.

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Holiday Niti

By Chanakya