Nepalese businessmen call for general strike Tuesday

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Monday October 16, 2006

Kathmandu- Nepalese businessmen, used to opposing industrial strikes and shut-downs, said Monday that they were calling a nationwide strike Tuesday to protest against alleged government apathy toward Maoist extortion. An official of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the strike was being called as the only way to draw the government's attention to the problem.

Said Madhav Mulmi, a director at the FNCCI, "We are confident that the strike call would be successful and we are all facing problems because of government apathy and Maoist extortion.

He said the decision to go on a strike was taken at the recommendation of a National Struggle Committee formed by the FNCCI.

According to him, the strike was in support of a five-point set of demands of the business and industry communities.

The demands include providing industrial security, ending extortion, rescheduling debts, and resolving labour and trade union disputes as well as scrapping the syndicate system in transport.

The demands were voiced during a recently held national assembly of the FNCCI in the southern Nepal town of Birgunj. The FNCCI formed the National Struggle Committee to suggest how best to go about making the government meet the demands.

FNCCI said despite repeated requests to the prime minister, concerned ministers, top leaders of the ruling Seven Party Alliance and the top Maoist leaders, the problems had become worse.

President of FNCCI Chandi Raj Dhakal said the Nepalese business community was "facing one of the toughest times ever even after the restoration of democracy due to government's failure to provide security."

"The excesses by the state and the Maoists compelled us to go to the street not only to protest but for the sake of our very existence," he said.

Other business organisations including the Nepal Chambers of Commerce, Nepal Petroleum Dealers Association and the Federation of Contractors Association of Nepal are backing the Tuesday strike.

FNCCI said that essential services like medical services, water and milk supplies, and ambulance and fire services would not be disrupted during the strike.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency