Industries in Sunsari-Morang and Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridors open

Industries in the Sunsari-Morang and Birgunj-Pathliaya corridors, closed for over a week due to row between managements and trade unions, have opened from Saturday after an agreement among the disputing groups in presence of government representatives on Friday.

The agitating trade unions agreed to let the factories open from Saturday after Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, who is also looking after the labour portfolio vowed to solve the problem within the next four days.

Badri Bajgain, leader of one of the trade unions steering the agitation said, we have decided to let the factories run as the labour minister agreed to solve the problem within four days.

Some trade unions including the one led by Bajgain, had continued the agitation and halting the operation of hundreds of industries in the Sunsari-Morang and Birgunj-Pathlaiya corridor since past eight days.

Although industrialists had signed an agreement with a trade union led by Shalikram Jammar Kattel on March 24 other trade unions had continued the agitation.

The agitating trade unions have demanded for an amendment of the previous agreement. They have been demanding a substantial hike in the wage of the workers.

Talks were held on Friday when industrialists from the two important industrial sectors of the country had come Singha Durbar to handover the keys of their factories to the government citing security concerns. Meanwhile, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries has said, the industries had lost about 3 billion due to the closure and that the nation had lost revenue of Rs 200 billion due to the decreased production. nepalnews.com