Govt prohibits strikes in essential service sectors

Kathmandu / Apr 4:The government has decided to ban strike and obstructions in the essential service sectors.

Speaking at a regular press meet on Thursday, Minister for Communication and Information Technology and government spokesperson Gokul Baskota said that the notice regarding the decision would be published in the Gazette.

Minister Baskota added that the cabinet meeting on March 28 decided to ban obstructions and strike in the essential service as ambulance, medicine productions, transportations on land, water and air, railway, communications, waste management, the supply of daily essential goods, cooking gas and petroleum products, and bank and insurance.

The government has brought the provision that it can fix the area of essential service every six months and make the announcement of strike accordingly. In case of obstruction and strike in these sectors, the government will facilitate the stakeholders to clear the hurdles, the Minister added.

Responding to a query whether workers’ rights of protest would be violated, he, however, said it may seem so in some places, but it is not so in most of the cases. “The essential service sectors must not be obstructed,” he underscored. Similarly, the government has increased the tax on vehicles. For the construction of the road to access the United Cement Factory of Naubise, Dhading, the land measuring 0.17 hectares would be provided from Pokharidanda community forest of Dhunibesi-9 in the district. RSS