Transporters to enforce chakkajam
KATHMANDU:
In what could be termed brazen disobedience to the state and the law, four separate transport entrepreneurs’ federations have jointly announced an indefinite nationwide bandh from tomorrow to what they say press the government to address their 41-point demand.
The announcement makes a mockery of government decree, which prohibits strikes of essential services, transport facility being one among them. Those sponsoring the indefinite strike are the Federation of Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs, Federation of Truck-Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs, Federation of Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs and Transportation Entrepreneurs’ Federation Nepal. To make matters worse, six other workers’ bodies associated with taxi entrepreneurs have also hopped on to the strike bandwagon.
Saroj Sitaula, treasurer of FNNTE, told The Himalayan Times that they were left with no option but to call a nationwide strike, as the government failed to pay heed to their demands despite their repeated requests.
“Talks held with government officials ended inconclusively, prompting us to move ahead with our protest. But we have not ruled out talks which we will continue as our protest goes on,” said Sitaula.
However, Chairman of FNNTE Yogendra Karmacharya said they would enforce only public transport bandh.
The 41-point demand put forth by agitating transport entrepreneurs includes withdrawal of government decision to give concessional loans to youth groups of Badi community to buy taxi, besides exempting customs duty on it. They have also demanded that the government take back its decision to exempt customs tariff on the basis of project viability for bus and taxi operation in the Kathmandu Valley and urban areas through the establishment of cooperative formed with the involvement of transport workers, saying it posed threat to their age-old entrepreneurship.
The government talks team led by Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management Dinesh Hari Adhikari has invited the agitators for another round of talks tomorrow at 1 pm. “We will announce more protests if the talks fail,” warned Sitaula.
Meanwhile, Purna Chandra Bhattarai, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, appealed to the transport entrepreneurs to roll back their decision.
Source: THT
In what could be termed brazen disobedience to the state and the law, four separate transport entrepreneurs’ federations have jointly announced an indefinite nationwide bandh from tomorrow to what they say press the government to address their 41-point demand.
The announcement makes a mockery of government decree, which prohibits strikes of essential services, transport facility being one among them. Those sponsoring the indefinite strike are the Federation of Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs, Federation of Truck-Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs, Federation of Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs and Transportation Entrepreneurs’ Federation Nepal. To make matters worse, six other workers’ bodies associated with taxi entrepreneurs have also hopped on to the strike bandwagon.
Saroj Sitaula, treasurer of FNNTE, told The Himalayan Times that they were left with no option but to call a nationwide strike, as the government failed to pay heed to their demands despite their repeated requests.
“Talks held with government officials ended inconclusively, prompting us to move ahead with our protest. But we have not ruled out talks which we will continue as our protest goes on,” said Sitaula.
However, Chairman of FNNTE Yogendra Karmacharya said they would enforce only public transport bandh.
The 41-point demand put forth by agitating transport entrepreneurs includes withdrawal of government decision to give concessional loans to youth groups of Badi community to buy taxi, besides exempting customs duty on it. They have also demanded that the government take back its decision to exempt customs tariff on the basis of project viability for bus and taxi operation in the Kathmandu Valley and urban areas through the establishment of cooperative formed with the involvement of transport workers, saying it posed threat to their age-old entrepreneurship.
The government talks team led by Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management Dinesh Hari Adhikari has invited the agitators for another round of talks tomorrow at 1 pm. “We will announce more protests if the talks fail,” warned Sitaula.
Meanwhile, Purna Chandra Bhattarai, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, appealed to the transport entrepreneurs to roll back their decision.
Source: THT
