MA in Labor Studies

Tribhuvan University launched Masters in Labour Studies program for the first time in Nepal from the academic year 2076/78. Both theoretical and practical exercises have been given equal importance in making the curriculum of labour studies suitable for the current needs. 

Context:

Population of all age, sex and ability/disability is consumer of produced goods and services, but only a segment of the population produces it, hence the producers of such goods and services is called the labour. Labour is not confined in production of economic goods and services; it is equally responsible to generate social capital and activities that have no economic price tag. Thus, labour is a dynamic field of study, distinguished by its focus on work and labour relations. Work affects everyone and everything and determines how working people spend many of their waking hours and shapes position in society, it determines ones health and economic well-being, and her/his self-image. It determines the structure of a society and economy.

Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science in Tribhuvan University introduced Master's degree in 'Labour Studies' as an interdisciplinary academic program and get endorsed from the faculty board and academic council in July 2019. The subject is established drawing on history, sociology, economics, population and demography, political economy, women's studies, industrial relations, labour migration and human security, relationship between human rights and labour right; labour justice and labour law; food, nutrition and labour productivity; labour statistics and research methodology; and other fields in assessing the place of labour and working people in society. The course is needed to make students to know more about the position of labour and working people in society. Further, the course will be of particular interest to trade unionists at the leadership, activist, and general membership levels. 

The Master's programme in labour studies and nature of its course deal with conceptual, theoretical and practical issues concerning the functioning and dynamics of work, labour and livelihood. Nature of employment patterns and employment relations are changing due course of time. The employment is characterised by growing informality and various forms of work related insecurities in the developed as well as developing nations. Workers in the developing countries are facing effects of globalisation and international restructuring of the global labour market in forms of sub-contraction, casualisation and contractualisation. Models of social protection make work and employment vulnerable or secure with the market fluctuation across the globe. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how working class, both in the formal and informal sectors is managing their social security needs including benefits from employers, work safety, wages and also state assured benefits need to be prime focus of the labour study. 

In this connection, the course highlights the conceptual/theoretical and practical issues such as globalization and its impact on employment generation; social history and theoretical foundation and labour economics; role of trade union and collective bargaining; labour movement, labour migration and human security; role of human capital formation (health, education) and social structure (caste/ethnicity) in demand and supply of labour; class and gender in labour market; role of corporate governance in labour rights and security; occupational safety and health. The course further covers issues such as research methodology and labour statistics; human rights and labour rights; care economy and informal sector; human resource projection and strategy; social dialogue and negotiation; labour diplomacy and human security; labour movements and social transformation in Nepal; poverty, inequality and employment in Nepal; food, nutrition and labour productivity; labour demography and labour mapping and GIS. The course has also an intense debate surrounding the impact of labour laws and bi-lateral labour agreements on employment generation in the country.