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Kathmandu, 30 July.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a new hybrid design sprint initiative in Nepal to strengthen trade unions’ capacity to support informal workers, particularly in the sanitation and domestic work sectors.
The initiative was officially launched on 25 July 2025 in collaboration with ILO’s Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV) and the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO).
With 84.6 per cent of Nepal’s workforce engaged in informal employment, this timely initiative seeks to promote inclusive, rights-based support for workers who are often excluded from formal labour protections, the ILO informed in a statement on Wednesday.
Informal workers typically lack employment contracts, access to social security, and representation in trade unions.
Fourteen trainers from Nepal’s leading trade union confederations – All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANTUF), General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), and Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) – are participating in the programme. The initiative is designed to co-create practical, union-led training tools tailored to the specific challenges faced by domestic and sanitation workers.
According to the ILO, future sessions will focus on transforming current training materials into interactive, participatory modules that address key issues such as labour rights, freedom of association, collective bargaining, social protection, and the prevention of workplace violence and harassment.
“Co-creating the training materials is important, as we can tailor them to the realities on the ground. In the future, I look forward to adapting these materials for other sectors,” said a representative from ANTUF.
The initiative forms part of Phase 2 of the ILO’s Promoting Rights and Social Inclusion (PRS) project, which supports informal workers’ transition to formal employment across India, Nepal, and Pakistan.
In Nepal, the project is working closely with trade unions, the Solid Waste Management Association of Nepal (SWMAN), and local municipalities to promote dignity, safety and fair working conditions.
