They union workers enforced a 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. strike at the office on Wednesday.
"We will not allow Kantipur´s Thursday´s edition as publications´ management has not fulfilled any of our demands," Ghanashyam Adhikari, chief of regional sub committee of the CPN (Maoist)-affiliated All Nepal Communications, Printing and Publication Workers´ Union told myrepublica.com over phone. "Our strike is for an idefinite period." Eastern editions of Kantipur, the country´s largest-circulated daily, and The Kathmandu Post are published from Biratnagar. The current round of protests began on Monday.
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Adhikari said that around 30 protestors -- "all Kantipur Publications staff" -- have camped inside the compound of the regional office (housing the newsroom as well as the printing press) and intend to stay there until their demands are fulfilled. Their demands include implementation of government stipulated wages and permanent job status to those who have worked for at least 240 days.
Kantipur Publications´ management, however, has claimed that it has already enforced the salary and benefits as per the government directives.
"This is not true," countered Adhikari. "In fact, the management has resorted to a false propaganda against us through its newspapers and Radio Kantipur by claiming it has fulfilled our demands while it has not."
Harsha Subba, chief of the Kantipur’s regional bureau, said they are facing difficulties to carry out their regular work.
The ANCPPWU union workers have obstructed work at various newspaper offices throughout the country since August this year. While demand for better pay and work facilities are common demands, they are also agitating to form their unions in some publications.
