Nepal Telecom Employee Unions Protest Appointment of Acting Managing Director

Kathmandu. Employee trade unions within Nepal Telecom (Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited) have objected to the process of appointing the acting Managing Director. Two major employee organizations have protested, alleging that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology bypassed senior employees and assigned the acting responsibility to another employee, violating the company's Staff Service Condition Regulations.

The Nepal Doorsanchar National Employees Organization and the Nepal National Employees Organization, Nepal Telecom, issued a joint statement warning that the Ministry's decision would set a wrong precedent within the organization and lead to managerial chaos.

The position became vacant after the company's acting Managing Director, Sabina Maske Pradhan, retired compulsorily on Magh 21 due to reaching the age limit. The Ministry corresponded on Magh 23 to assign the acting responsibility to a new individual for the vacant post. However, the employee organizations claim that this appointment is a direct violation of Regulation 49 (1) of the 'Nepal Doorsanchar Company Limited Staff Service Condition Regulations 2078'.
The organizations state that Regulation 49 (1) of the regulations clearly stipulates that if the office chief is on leave or the post is vacant, 'the most senior employee after the office chief shall act as the interim head'. While the tradition in the past has been to assign responsibility to the most senior employee according to the same rule, they deem this instance of appointing an employee other than the senior-most as an arbitrary move.

Furthermore, the statement mentioned that this decision, made against tradition and rules during a sensitive time when the country is engaged in the federal parliament elections and the Election Commission has enforced the 'Election Code of Conduct 2082', is questionable from the perspective of the election code of conduct.

The statement, signed by Govinda Dhungana, Secretary General of the Nepal Doorsanchar National Employees Organization, and Bed Prasad Poudel, Secretary of the Nepal National Employees Organization, reads, "At a time when the organization has reached a sensitive juncture due to the continuous decline in the company's financial indicators, such decisions made by violating laws and procedures further encourage chaos and arbitrariness in management."

The organizations have appealed to the concerned bodies to adhere to prevailing laws and established procedures, urging them to immediately correct such serious matters that could have long-term effects on the institution.