Strike shuts down Hetauda factories

Strike shuts down Hetauda factories
ekantipur, 28-Nov-08
Pratap Bista

Workers affiliated to Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF) shut down about five dozen industries located in and outside the Hetauda industrial area on Friday. They took the move, blaming entrepreneurs for not paying salaries as per the directives of the government. Two months ago, the government had directed industries to pay each unskilled worker at least Rs. 4,600 every month. Entrepreneurs say they are in no position to pay this much.

According to Madhav Adhikari, president of Hetauda Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), the workers have closed down 55 industries. Secretary of Nepal Industrial Workers' Union (NIWU) Krishna Raj Koirala said they were forced to shut down the industries as entrepreneurs didn't make government-fixed payments. The NIWU is affiliated to ANTUF.

Workers began closing down the industries from early morning after the three-day ultimatum given to pressure the industries to hike salaries expired on Thursday.

Eight industries belonging to multinational companies (MNCs) were among those shut. The Colgate Palmolive, whose ownership was transferred to Nepali entrepreneurs, has remained closed for eight days.

Ratna Hari Gautam, manager of Hetauda Industrial Area Management Limited, said closure of the nation's largest industrial zone will result in a daily loss of Rs 6.6 million.

The workers, however, let United Brewery, Superlemikotes, Makwana Biscuit and Nepal Hume Pipe run as these establishments have been making payments in line with the government directive. There are 42 industries inside the industrial area.

Adhikari said he was saddened at the closure of industries although entrepreneurs were willing to hike minimum salaries.

Manager of Trishakti Poly Packs Salikram Goswami said workers closed the industries although the latter had promised to pay hiked salaries after sometime.

He said such strikes might discourage potential investors, who want to set up industries inside the industrial area. Sixteen industrial plants, including five belonging to MNCs, are under construction in the industrial area. The HCCI said the closure of the industries will cost over 10 million daily.

President of NIWU Bishnu Rana Magar said they had no option but to close the industries as HCCI had ignored their demands. "The agitation will continue until the industries pledge to pay us in line with the goverment-fixed scale," he said.

Magar accused the entrepreneurs of not bothering to hold talks with the agitators.

Following the strike at hotels in Nagarkot, FNCCI had reached an agreement with a government talks team led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, to sit for talks in Kathmandu on Sunday and find a way out. But the closure of industries in Hetaunda has angered the entrepreneurs. "We could not understand the intention of the government," said FNCCI chairman Kush Kumar Joshi.

"The prime minister talks about parleys while his party-men shut down factories," he added. The FNCCI chairman said the entrepreneurs would not sit for talks until the factories were reopened. "Entrepreneurs have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to run businesses due to prevailing insecurity," he said.