MOHAN BAIDYA FACTION PUSHES FOR SCRAPPING FOUR-POINT ADREEMENT

SAARC BUSINESS LEADERS MEET STARTS

Kathmandu, 21 Sept.: A three-day meeting of SAARC business leaders conclave began in the capital Tuesday.
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav inaugurated the meet.
More than 200 delegates are participating.
The meeting is sponsored by SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and FNCCI with the motto Peace and Prosperity Through Regional Connectivity.
nnnn


BAIDYA FACTION IN UCPN (MAOIST) FAVOURS SCRAPPING FOUR-POINT AGREEMENT

Kathmandu, 21 Sept.: A faction of Vice-chairman Mohan Vaidya is preparing to scrap the four-point agenda at the 30 September central committee of UCPN (Maoist), Ujir Magar reports in Nagarik.
:It’s Baidya’s demand that the four-point agreement hasn’t promoted unity in the party. It [the party] hasn’t got the agreement of NC and UML. That’s why Baidya demands it should be scrapped,” said central member Maheshwor Dahal.
Baidya faction has started a district-kevel discussion of the demand to scrap the deal and form a national government under its leadership.
Most of the district leaders of the Baidya faction are currently im town.
Nnnn

SURYA NEPAL LAY OFF PACKAGE
Kathmandu, 21 Sept.: The management of Surya Nepal today gave retirement to 600 workers of its garment unit and distributed compensation among them. The management in August had decided to close down the factory citing prolonged labour unrest, The Himalayan Times reports from Biratnagar.

According to chief of the garment unit of Surya Nepal, Awadhesh Jha, the management distributed Rs 29,800 — Rs 25,000 compensation and Rs 4,800 increased pay — as lay-off benefits to each worker.

The decision to grant retirement and provide benefits to the workers was taken on Saturday as per the agreement reached among representatives of Morang Industry Organisation, Labour Office, trade unions and Surya Nepal. Company corporate Vice-chairperson Ravi KC, garment unit Chief Jha, GFONT central member Dharma Sanjel, All Nepal Trade Union Federation central member Tejlal Karna and 16 other representatives affiliated to garment union were present when the agreement was reached.

The garment unit of Surya Nepal, a subsidiary of ITC, India, was started in 2007 after the company diversified into apparels from tobacco production and had been producing ITC’s John Players and Springwood labels in its Biratnagar-based factory till the company decided to close down the factory. Closure of Surya Nepal’s garment unit was a major setback at a time when the country is floundering to woo foreign investment in the wake of frequent labour unrest, closures and power crisis. The government about two weeks ago had requested Surya Nepal to re-open its garment unit.

Surya Nepal’s decision today, it seems, is aimed at setting the premise for opening a new industry on the same premises. “Surya Nepal has many projects; we will run a new project soon. It may be a garment or any other unit,” said Jha, adding, “The new set up will be launched keeping in mind what is in demand in the region.”

The Surya Nepal management had taken the decision to shut the factory in August after it declared a lockout in mid-June when workers held 37 officials hostage for 24 hours without allowing them food and water. Police had to intervene to release the captives. The workers, most of them women, had then gone on the rampage demanding that the management pay them for the eight days when the factory remained shut. However, the management had refused to oblige, saying it was following ‘No-Work, No-Pay’ system.

The garment unit of Surya Nepal, the country’s biggest tax-paying company, was exporting its products to Indian, American and European markets.

With the decision to give retirement and distribute lay off benefits, the workers, who had been organising relay protest on the factory premises, have called off the strike.
Nnnn

MEDIA GOOGLE

“Gurkhas settling in Britain should be dispersed around the country n the same way as asylum seekers.”

(British Minister for International Security Strategy Gerald Howarth, The Himalayan Times, 21 Sept.)
nnnn