CPN-M union troubles industries

KATHMANDU, SEP 28 -

First it was private schools and fast food chains KFC and Pizza Hut, then commodity exchanges and now Shikhar Shoes.

The private sector is increasingly getting harassed over the last one and half months by trade union s affiliated to Mohan Baidya-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist.

The latest casualty Shikhar Shoes, one of the country’s leading shoe manufacturers, has been closed for the last two weeks after workers affiliated to All Nepal Industrial Trade Union Revolutionary (ANIT-R) padlocked the factory demanding a 50 percent rise in basic salary and education allowance for their children’s tuition fees, among others.

On Thursday, Shikhar Shoes Managing Director Ram Krishna Prasai expressed his helplessness, saying, “Businessmen are the most vulnerable ‘creatures’ in this country.”

Prasai said he has been receiving continuous threats and complained that even the police have not been cooperative. “When were requested the police for security, they told that they would not provide security for more than two-three days,” said Prasai. “Instead, they told us to resolve the dispute soon.”

The company decided to close down its production after the members the All Nepal Federation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (ANFRTU) attempted to manhandle Prasai at his residence. Now, ANFRTU has threatened to ban the sales of Shikhar shoes across the country. ANFRTU Chairman Ramdip Acharya said they would ban the sales of Shikhar Shoes if the demands put forth by the workers were not addressed.

Industrialists say the industrial sector is being victimised by the CPN-Maoist in a bid to expand its influence in trade union s, which are still in UCPN (Maoist)’s grip after the split of the party.

Private schools were targeted for donations, while KFC and Pizza Hut were closed to establish trade union s aligned to CPN-Maoist. KFC and Pizza Hut reopened last week after remaining closed for about a month. Earlier this week, two commodities exchanges were also vandalised.

ANFRTU has to establish its presence in 500 industrial establishments to become a federation. Hence, it is aggressively putting forth the demands of salary hike to poach workers from trade union s close to UCPN (Maoist). “With every party expanding its own union , it is the private sector that is suffering,” said Manish Agrawal, vice-chairman of the Employers’ Council at FNCCI.

The recent activities of ANFRTU — demands for salary hike and hefty donations — are part of that strategy. Even Acharya acknowledged that they are raising the issue of workers to strengthen their position in the trade union sector.

As the CPN-Maoist’s general convention inches closer, the terror in the industrial sector is not only to expand its presence, but also to collect money. “It is true that we have asked for donation,” said an ANFRTU member.

Source: The Kathmandu Post