As many as 16 persons were injured in a clash between agitating workers and police. The clash ensued after the police used force to release 37 officials locked in the factory premises by the agitating workers.[break]
“In view of the prevailing extraordinary situation, the company has declared a lockout,” Surya Nepal said in a statement issued in Kathmandu.
Police baton-charged the workers and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd after efforts to secure release of the officials through talks failed.
The workers had taken the officials hostage from Tuesday afternoon. They were demanding the management to provide salary for the period when they had shut the factory to press the management for wage hike in the last week of March. The workers had shut the factory for eight days from March 25.
“We had to use force to secure the release of officials that were taken hostage by the agitating workers,” said Thakur Ram Bartaula, Superintendent of Police in Morang.
Ravi KC, country manager of Surya Nepal, said the workers were not paid for the period as per the ´no work, no pay´ policy of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).
However, Bipin Karna, central member of Madhesi Trade Union Forum Nepal, who had led the protest in the last week of March, said the Ministry of Labor in the pact signed with trade unions on April 16 had agreed to provide wage for the period.
“We launched the protest after the management refused to pay wage for those days,” said Binita Poudel of Surya Nepal Workers´ Unit.
KC accused the workers of launching the strike at a time when most of the senior officers of the company were out of the town. “They started the protest even without informing the management of their demands,” said KC.
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