Out of 14 daily newspapers being published from Pokhara, 12 dailies halted publication after the workers affiliated to All Nepal Communications, Printing and Publications Workers´ Union (ANCPPWU) started agitation putting forth 11 demands. [break]
According to ANCPPWU Kaski district chairman Lila Bahadur Ghartimagar, the workers stopped work demanding permanent appointment, implementation of minimum salary as determined by the state, health and accident insurance, provision of overtime and Dashain allowance among other things.
“We were compelled to halt work after those concerned continued to ignore our demands,” said Ghartimagar. “They made us work for a long time but never provided any benefits,” he added.
“Workers have been denied even the minimum salary as fixed by the government. Government has fixed Rs 6,250 monthly salary for publication workers, but they are forced to work for Rs 3,000 monthly,” he further added. He was of the opinion that the agitation is not for pay hike and is rather for implementation of the minimum salary.
“Pokhara is expensive city. How can a worker live for a month on Rs 3,000,” he said. He also informed that the managements of the newspapers are not ready to provide permanent status to the workers who have completed 240 days in office. “We did not see workers´ job security as they are paid at the end of the month on daily wage basis. So we demanded permanent status,” Ghartimagar also said the workers would not resume work until the demands are met.
Nevertheless, press entrepreneurs in Pokhara said that they cannot provide permanent status to the workers. Umanath Baral, the chairman of Patrika Samaj in Kaski, informed that Nepal Printing Industries Association had directed newspapers and publication houses in Kaski to not give permanent status to workers saying it is not sustainable.
“We were ready to address their demands except for the permanent status. But the agitating workers rejected the proposal,” said Baral adding that the people´s right to information has been affected due to the worker´s agitation. Over 300 workers are employed in 45 printing and publication houses in Pokhara.
Kaski district chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists has objected to the strike stating that newspaper publication should not be disrupted under any pretext and also requested those concerned to reach amicable solution.
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