Pokhara hotels and restaurants resume operation

Hotels and restaurants in the resort town of Pokhara resumed operation from Sunday after the hotel and restaurant entrepreneurs and the Maoist-supported All Nepal Hotel Workers Union (ANHWU) agreed to end the standoff.

The ANHUF called back its protest programmes after an agreement with the hotel entrepreneurs, fixing eight-hour work per day, provision of one day leave a week, an increase of 400 rupees in basic salary and mandatory contract letter to the workers.

400 hotels and 300 restaurants of Pokhara remained closed since Friday due to the strike called by the pro-Maoist labour union.

According to entrepreneurs, the strike caused loss of over 10 million rupees per day.

The ANHWU had called strike demanding that the workers be provided with appointment letters and identity cards along with a minimum monthly salary of 5,500 rupees. The protesters had warned that they would not stop the strike until their 16-point demands were met.

The ANHWU organised a 'victory rally' in Lakeside area of Pokhara saying that the agreement was a gain on their side. nepalnews.com pb Dec 24 06

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