Hetauda, November 30:

Sixty industries, 42 in the Hetauda industrial zone and 18 outside, which had been shut for the last three days, reopened this afternoon.

These industries came into operation after an agreement was reached in the all-party talks held at the Hetauda industrial zone management office. It was decided that the minimum pay scale fixed for the workers by the government would be provided within the next three days. “As our demands were met, all protest programmes were withdrawn and industries were allowed to reopen,” said Krishna Raj Koirala, secretary of the All Nepal Industrial Workers’ Union. The workers would be provided with a minimum pay scale of Rs 4,600, the daily wage labourers would be provided with Rs 190 as additional hike per month. Earlier, 12 industries had come into operation after the row with their workers was settled.

“A one-day closure of industries in Makawanpur incurs a loss of Rs 40 million,” stated the industrial zone management office.