Pokhara noodles industry compromises with workers to resume operation

Pokha Noodles Pvt Ltd. Photo courtesy: PNPL

POKHARA: The agitating workers’ group of Pokhara Noodles Pvt Ltd (PNPL), who had gone on strike without informing the administration, has returned to work from today.

The work resumed after the management side, supervisor, trade union leaders and workers reached a compromise to discontinue the agitation on Wednesday night.

The workers’ group had unofficially launched agitaiton since Monday when the management stepped forward taking action against one of the workers who did not go to do his duty as instructed by the industry supervisor and the duty incharge.

The  had brought in raw materials worth Rs 1 million when five leaders of Workers’ union enjoined the agitation and closed down the work.

According to Executive Director of PNPL, Baburam pant, after lengthy talks all sides finally reached a compromise last night. The management agreed to solve the problems faced by the workers, promised not to deduct the salary and facilities while workers nade commitment to resuming the work and supervisor and workers, both sides confessed to the swearing.

The talks concluded as the management side agreed to hold back the complaint lodged against the worker at the Rambazaar-based Ward Police Office, and to discharge him from the police custody.

The talks took place among PNPL Executive Director Pant, Brihaspati Bhandari, Maniram Pandey, Brihaspati Parajuli, Balkrishna Bastola, Krishna Bahadur Hamal, Padam Magar, Ramkishor Lamichhane, Dhiraj Gurung, Bayan Bahadur Khanal, Kamal POaudelk, Laxmi Bhujel and Dipendra Paudel.

The talks also decided to hold a meeting between supervisor and trade union to discuss the industry’s production growth.

Meanwhile, it has been noted that the PNPL has suffered the loss of Rs 1 million on raw materials when the industry’s two plants were closed. Pant informed that the industry has also lost Rs 10.5 million the industry could earn profit during the three-day closure.

The noodle industry has not cancelled the dismissal of five workers — Pushpa Raj Bhattaria, Sanjeev Adhikari, Santosh Shrestha, Sujan Acharya, Suresh Tiwari — yet. They were arrested for swearing and manhandling supervisor and incharge on Monday morning, the day the industry put notice informing to deduct amount from the workers’s salary for the time intervals when the industry had no businesses.

The PNPL has been producing 18,000 cartons of instant noodles under more than 20 various brands including Ramba, Jojo, Bonus, on daily basis. More than 250 workers are employed in the PNPL.

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