Thursday, October 18, 2012

Vaidhya trade union captures Himal Cement property, claims to stop auction


Revolutionary Trade Union Federation – the trade union affiliated to the CPN-Maoist led by Mohan Vaidhya – captured Chobar-based Himal Cement today. A group of youth captured the cement factory and hoisted the party flag.
“We captured the factory according to the trade union's decision, said president of the trade union Ramdeep Acharya. According to him, the federation took the decision to save the state enterprise. We captured it to save it from being sold at a low price, he added. The trade union has said that their cadres will leave the factory once the government commits to operating it as a state enterprise. "It is also about employment for 400 workers," said Acharya.
The trade union has asked the government to relocate the factory if it has been causing environmental problems. "But we will not allow the government to sell the factory," he said, adding that Himal Cement should not be sold to a private player.
Himal Cement Factory, the first cement factory of the country, was established in 1975. It had a production capacity of 360 metric tonnes. The government had dissolved the factory in 2002, following disputes over its environmental effect in the Chobar area.

No comments: