Surya Nepal adopts tough posture against unruly workers

BIRATNAGAR, June 28: Adopting a tough posture against unruly workers who kept as many as 37 management staff of Surya Nepal´s garment unit in Biratnagar locked inside the factory early this month, Managing Director of the company Ravi KC said, "We won´t resume the operation of the factory until the culprit workers are punished. As the workers have violated the spirit of Labor Act, they are liable to punishment."



Talks between the management and the agitating workers to resume the operation of the factory could not bear fruit Monday as the management kept playing the hardball. [break]



During the talks, the management stuck to its demand to first punish the workers who had locked the company officials in the factory about two weeks ago.



The workers however asked the management to resume the operation at the earliest forgetting the past incidents.



The factory has been closed since June 15 after the workers locked management officials inside the factory as a protest against the management for not paying them salary for a period during which they did not work.



KC, who was also present at the talks, said that management won´t initiate the reopening of the factory as long as the lives of the management staff are in danger.

He claimed that violent incidents inside the production house have spoiled the working environment and have put the lives of staff in danger. He blamed the workers for indulging in violence rather than concentrating on their work.



However, trade union leaders at the factory were defensive during the talks and requested the management to give the erring workers a chance to correct themselves by resuming the work at the factory.



Tej Lal Karn, another participant in the talks and central member of All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF), however said that as the workers assured to correct their mistakes in the days ahead, the talks took ended on a positive note.



“Both parties have shown some flexibility. It seems the tension will get resolved,” he claimed.



Suresh Adhikary, Chief District Officer of Morang, said the talks today was somehow positive and successful. “All parties urged the management to resume production at the factory by forgiving guilty workers,” he added.



The talks were revived a week ago after the management put forward three conditions to the workers including no work, no pay, punishment to guilty workers, and dedication of workers to work.

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