Nepal's CPN shuts down two Coca Cola factories

Trade union activists affiliated to the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) (formerly known as guerrilla) shut down two factories producing Coca Cola, local newspaper The Kathmandu Post reported Tuesday.

The two factories are Terai and Kathmandu branches of a local company named Bottlers' Nepal, producer of Coca Cola in Nepal, located at Bharatpur in Chitwan districts.

The management of the companies said Monday that they were forced to halt their operations after CPN aligned trade union padlocked the main gate of the factories two days ago.

Claiming that the factories had "expelled 55 workers without any reason," the trade union on Sunday shut down the factories rendering more than 480 workers jobless.

The trade union said it would "indefinitely close the factories if the management did not meet their demands raised in an agreement reached between the two sides a few months ago."

Four months ago, Bottlers' Nepal and the CPN trade union, among others, had agreed to give the temporary workers permanent status and to fix their basic salaries.

"The management of the factories did not pay attention to the agreement," the union said in a statement issued Monday.

Source: Xinhua