Kathmandu, January 4:

Nepal Gas Industry Pvt Ltd, the main supplier of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), has bought time for now. The agitating workers’ union has withdrawn its protest programmes to allow smooth supply of cooking gas after representatives of Nepal Gas drew up an agreement with the union members on Friday.

However, the union has threatened to start a fresh round of protest programmes if the management fails to reach another agreement within 15 days. According to the union, four workers posted from the transport company will have to be given appointment letters by Nepal Gas within 15 days.

Smooth supply of Nepal Gas has been hit due to the protest launched by the workers who are members of the Nepal Gas unit committee of the All Nepal Industrial Worker’s Union (ANIWU).

ANIWU had issued a one-month ultimatum to the management to fulfil the workers’ demands or face closure, the latest weapon of trade unions to force the management to capitulate.

The agreement on January 2 has confirmed the supply of cooking gas, although temporarily.

“We gave an ultimatum of one month, starting December 4,” ANIWU’s Nepal Gas unit president Bhoj Bahadur Thakuri have said adding that the management failed to fulfill their demands and they went on strike and halted gas supply. According to ANIWU, an agreement was signed between the management and agitating workers of eight vehicle contractors in August 17 last year for appointing workers in Nepal Gas.

Nepal Gas has a total of 12 vehicles. Of these, eight are rented while four belong to the company. Due to the strike by drivers and helpers of the eight hired vehicles, supply of Nepal Gas was down to almost 25 per cent.

Lately, labourers have been launching strikes in the industries across the country to force the management in paying them minimum wage fixed by the government.

However, jute, garment and tea industry have said that they cannot pay the minimum wage due to their worse condition.