Kathmandu, July 12:

With the end of its 72-hour ultimatum to address its demands, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) unit of Nepal Transport Workers Association has decided to begin a strike from tomorrow.

“All work, including collection of garbage, will halt from tomorrow morning,” said Ramesh Prasad Poudel, president of the KMC unit of the NTWA.

They added that the association has already received support from the KMC unit of the Nepal Municipal Employees’ Association (NMEA) and has requested the Nepal Independent Sweepers’ Union to support its cause.

Poudel said they had served a 15-day-long ultimatum prior to the 72-hour ultimatum. “We are compelled to call a strike as the concerned authorities do not heed our demand to make temporary staffs permanent,” he said.

The association has been demanding permanent jobs for some 643 temporary and ad hoc employees, many of whom have served for more than a decade.

Poudel also said the ad hoc employees could be provided permanency through interviews while others could be made permanent through oral exams.

Some 643 employees of the KMC including peons, sweepers, drivers, gardeners and city police personnel are working on a temporary basis and have not been made permanent.

Kathmandu Metroplitan City assistant executive officer Kharudev Chudal said a five-member committee has been formed under the leadership of joint secretary Surya Prasad Silwal at

the ministry of Local Development to study the problem of KMC. Silwal was the chief executive officer at KMC earlier.

“The committee will submit its report within three days and the ministry will act according to the suggestion of the committee,” he said, adding that the agitating employees have been informed about the developments.