The division bench of Justice Prem Sharma and Tarka Raj Bhatta gave an interim order to stop the delivery of salary and wages until the final decision.[break]
Eight different industrial firms based in Birgunj, Biratnagar and Lumbini had filed a writ petition on July 3 and Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) on July 4 before the SC, claiming that the government-announced wage package is faulty and should be scrapped.
An MoLTM official said “We respect the court verdict but we will formally hold a meeting to determine our next move."
Pashupati Murarka, chairman of Employer´s Council (EC) at FNCCI, said that the stay order vindicates employers´ stand in the matter. He expressed his belief that court would give its final decision in favor of the employers and the industrialists, who are not in a position to pay the government announced wage packgae.
Lal Dhoj Nembang, coordinator of ANTUF- Revolutionary however claimed that the decision of the court won´t make any difference as the government-announced wage package has already been implemented. “If again any changes are made in the package, we will launch a fresh round of protests,” he warned.
Bishnu Rimal, chairman of GEFONT, said that the court´s decision should be obeyed by all parties concerned. “It is the responsibility of the government to come up with another provision and we will discuss with it,” he added.
In a move to resolve the wage differences between the agreements that FNCCI made with three major trade unions -- All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT) and Nepal Trade Union Congress-Independent (NTUC-I) -- and subsequently announced agreement between the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) and eight Madhesh-based trade unions, the government had enforced MoLTM-announced wage package and published it in Nepal Gazette on May 23.
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