Ilam, September 25 :

Agitating workers of the Kanyam Tea Estate in Ilam, who had locked up estate manager Punya Dhakal, estate in-charge Nirmal Chhetri, electrician Jagdish Prasad Singh, accountant Arjun Acharya, supervisors Hridayaraj Poudel, Tikaram Dangal, Madhav Khatiwada and Netra Bahadur Basnet in their offices, freed them today.

Agitating the workers’ action the eight officials had launched a fast-unto-death. They called off the strike as the workers set them free.

Around 2:30 pm today, the workers unlocked the offices after a team of rights activists led by the chairperson of the Human Rights Forum (Ilam) DN Parajuli mediated in the issue. Demanding that the management provide them a Dashain allowance equivalent to wages or 20 days of work, the workers had locked up the eight employees.

Workers had accused the estate officials of preserving the management’s benefits and ignoring the workers’ genuine demands.