News

Laxman Adhikari FIEUN DGS







Ganesh K C President FIEUN





Resta Jha & Yutaka Seki









Rajendara and Yogendra Kunwar







Priyalal and Kentaro Shigetomi President of ZENROSAI Labour InsuranceWorkersUnion Japan

Organizing the union at Life Insurance Corporation [LIC] an Indian MNC was challenging but we made it and negotiating a collective agreement is in the process said Laxman Adhikari DGS of FIEUN at the meeting. There are over 79000 agents, about 200 surveyors and 3000 employees in the Insurance Industry in Nepal.

Our organizing approach was first to start with the “Beema Samiti” the Insurance Supervisory Authority in Nepal said Yognedra Kunwar General Secretary of FIEUN; this made our task easier to reach out to organize and unionise the employees in Private Insurance Companies. We seek the support of UNI and All India National Life Insurance Employees Federations [AINLIEF] solidarity in case we have difficulties in entering in to a CBA with Indian MNC LIC said Yogendra.

Yutaka Seki President of Federation of Non-Life Insurance Unions Japan; and also the Presidnet of UNI Apro Finance, Mr Resta Jha, CEO of Prime Life Insurance Company and the Chairman of the National Insurance Association Nepal joined the focused group meeting with all FIEUN Insurance industry union officials.

Insurance Unions in Japan are working hard to simplify documentations and avoid delays in settling claims and ensure timely deliverables delivered said Yutaka Seki in his opening remarks. Trade unions are also providing financial education on insurance policies and help customers to better understand the terms and condition of policies. In response to question how trade unions are contributing beyond the honouring claims; Seki said during the March 11 Triple Disaster in Eastern Japan in 2011 all policy holders lost all their belongings including the insurance policies; Trade union members walked an extra mile to identify those victims in displacement camps with the help of local authorities and provided them financial assistance to re-build their lives. We were ahead of the management said Seki.

Mr Resta Jha admired how the Japanese trade unions are working to promote the industry without competing with each other to help the customer at times of distress. He said that the maturity level of trade unions and the management varies in Nepal; but insurance companies to succeed the employee’s; service providers trade unions anad management needbuild up trust to work together. Mr Jha thanked UNI Apro for organizing the meeting which has provided many insights for insurance companies and trade unions in Nepal to learn and change their attitudes.