Maoist trade union threaten to shut down Surya Nepal from Monday

In a fresh case of worsening industrial relations in the country, Maoist-affiliated Nepal Multinational Companies´ Workers Union (NMCWU) at Surya Nepal has threatened to shut down the country´s largest tobacco manufacturing company from Monday, if the management did not fulfill its demands.

The union has submitted 11-point demand to the management. It announced the strike after majority of its members voted to go for the strike in case the management did not heed their demands.

“We have already informed our decision to the labor office and the company management,” said Devendra Sitaula, senior member of the workers´ union, who also took part in talks with the management.

He informed Republica that the workers were demanding the management to raise basic salary by Rs 2,500, double the life insurance cover to Rs 200,000 and pay Rs 1 million in gratuity at the time of retirement. The union has also demanded the management to deposit 2 percent of its annual profit in the workers welfare fund and provide permanent job to next of kin in case the workers died while working.

The union has also demanded with the management to allocate 50 percent of total vacant jobs to the offspring of workers, provide grant to the workers to construct houses and increase the retirement age to 58 from existing 55 years, among others.

Surya Nepal staff said that the workers and the management had sat for rounds of talks in the presence of representatives of local labor office. But the talks failed to settle the differences.

During the talks, the management had offered to pay them Rs 1,600 in addition to perks and benefits they were enjoying now. But union officials refused the offer.
“We want the management to address our demands in a package. We will not agree on a piecemeal deal,” said Sitaula.

Meanwhile, Surya Nepal has knocked on the doors of the Department of Labor as well as Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry to settle the problem.

Man Bahadur BK, director general of the Department of Labor, said the department has taken up Surya Nepal´s request seriously. “We will forward the request to Labor Relations Improvement Committee and take immediate steps to avoid the looming shutdown,” he added.

Water transport for trade and commerce not feasible: Report

For years the government believed the country could make use of its rivers for water transportation. But a latest feasibility study conducted to assess such possibilities concluded that operating water transportation in three major rivers -- Koshi, Gandaki and Bheri was almost impossible due to their irratic flow pattern.

Two private consulting companies that presented preliminary report conducted under the terms of Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) said water transportation was not commercially viable in Nepal. However, the report notes that 11 out of 14 different sections of those rivers can be used for recreational purposes for tourism.

"River flow pattern that affect the operation of vessel vary greatly in those rivers. Though jet boats can be operated by constructing dams and other physical infrastructures, the cost involved in such development are so high, those make commercial operations of water transportation unviable," reads the report.

Officials who were sought to make comments on report said that this was a first step towards studying the potential of water transport in the country. "This report does not show any prospects of building water transport in these rivers. However, we are ready to do more study to see if there are still any chances of utilizing the rivers for transportation," said one of the senior officials of the ministry.

Ironically, the study team which was solely focused on finding the possibilities for water transportation couldn´t express the confidence in their own report. "Many aspects are yet to be studied though this is what we found," Padam Shahi, team leader of the study said, "Water transportation might be potential if we analyze it through the complementary perspectives but this is not comparing to other means of transportation."

The feasibility report which even failed to estimate the total cost of water transportation in three rivers has recommended making some short term plan to experiment the viability of the water transportation. Moreover, the study report proposed only two sections of the Bheri river for transport namely, Kamalpur to Bhtechaur and Ghatgaun to Taranga.

The report studied five sections of the Koshi, six sections of the Gandaki and three sections of the Bheri. "Some of the sections are already used for recreation and transport purpose," Shahi said, presenting the study report on Wednesday, "Even in those sections, locally manufactured boats are in use, this can´t be called as sound water transportation."

"This report has an indication that we can´t develop water transportation as substitutes to road transportation," senior official at the ministry said, "We had assigned companies to do the feasibility study in those rivers which were anticipated to be useful for the water transportation. After this report, I don´t think we would be able to develop water transportation in other rivers."

However, Dolalghat to Chatara and Chatara to Tribeni sections of Koshi River, Devghat to Ramdi and Mugling to Fishlin sections of Gandaki river are in use for recreational purpose already.