According to joint struggle committee of the workers, a total of 347 employees, including security guards, have not received salary since November 2010. [break]
The committee has placed five-point demands, asking the management to pay due salary, bring the factory back into operation, pay insurance premium and deposit amounts in employees´ provident fund.
The workers have announced 15-day first phase protest from Wednesday itself. If the demands are not addressed within the period, the workers said all the workers would organize sit-in protest at the factory´s head office in Kathmandu.
Bhrikuti Paper Industry, which was established with the assistance of Chinese government, was privatized in 1992. Golchha Group operated the factory for about two decades before announcing its closure in February 2011.
“We have apprised three prime ministers about our demands. We also met with high-level government officials to resolve the problems. But our requests fell in deaf ears,” said Ram Sharma, coordinator of the struggle committee.
Local leaders of different political parties and all trade unions in the factory have decided to support the protest.
Workers said the promoters of Bhrikuti Paper Industry were preparing to develop residential plots by closing the factory.
“The industry should be revived because there is a high demand for paper in the country,” said Sharma.
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