KATHMANDU, Nepal–Trekking Agencies´ Association of Nepal (TAAN) has increased daily wage of trekkers. According to TAAN, daily wage of guides, assistant guides, cook and kitchen assistant have been increased by Rs 200 and porter (assistant worker) by Rs 300.
The Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) and representatives of four unions of trekking workers — All Nepal Revolutionary Tourism Workers Union (ANRTWU), Union of Nepal Travel, Trekking, Rafting and Airlines Workers (UNITRAV); All Nepal Tourism Workers Union (ANTWU), and Nepal Tourism Workers Association (NTWA) – have decided to raise daily wages.
The hike is based on the understanding that the previous executive committee of TAAN had reached with the worker unions.
The two sides have also agreed to form Workers’ Welfare Fund under Social Security Scheme of the government and deposit Rs 15 million from the TIMS Fund after guidelines for the operationalization of the fund is finalized by the government.
TAAN reviews daily wage of trekking workers every two years.
With the fresh hike in daily wage, guides, assistant guides and porters in the Everest region will get Rs 1,350, Rs 1,250 and Rs 1,150 per day, respectively. At present, they are obtaining Rs 1,100, Rs 1,000 and Rs 850 per day, respectively.
Similarly, guides, assistant guides and assistant workers in Annapurna region will get Rs 1,250, Rs 1,100 and Rs 1,150 per day, respectively while the guides, cooks and kitchen assistants going for camping trek are entitled to get Rs 1,050, Rs 1,000 and Rs 950 per day, respectively, up from Rs 800, Rs 750 and Rs 700 per day.
Similarly, assistant guides and assistant workers will now receive Rs 950 and Rs 1,150 per day, respectively. In the meantime, (TAAN) and various unions of trekking workers have agreed to prohibit unlicensed trekking guides from leading groups from January 2015.
In the meantime, TAAN has asked its member companies to provide Rs 8,000 annually to guide, cook and Sherpas as festival allowance once a year. The association has also said it would raise wages of guides and porters going on mountaineering expeditions.