Finance minister’s claim of no labor strike during past two years is false

Sanjog Shiwakoti / September 27, 2019

Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada speaking in Rupandehi on Sept 27, 2019. Photo: Youtube grab

On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada speaking at Tilottama Investment Summit 2019 organized by Tilottama Municipality in Rupandehi district said the following:

“Has anyone heard of labor strikes since the past two years? Have we heard of a labor dispute resulting in unfavorable industrial atmosphere in the past two years? We haven’t.” [go to 58 seconds in the video]

South Asia Check has examined whether the finance minister’s statement is fact-based or not.

South Asia Check found that there were several instances of labor strikes during the past two years.

A few cases are as follows:

According to a news report published in Kantipur on June 18, 2019, Kathmandu-based Hyatt Regency was shut down due to a workers’ strike. The hotel remained closed for several days.

According to a report published in The Kathmandu Post on February 5, 2019, restaurant workers went on a strike to protest the scrapping of 10 percent service charge by the Restaurants and Bar Association Nepal.
According to a September 21, 2018 report in The Kathmandu Post, a nationwide public transport strike was on its fourth day.
According to report in Himal Khabar of May 1, 2019, around 50,000 tea estate workers were on strike since over a month.
Another Himal Khabar report of November 29, 2018, said the workers of Nepal Hydro and Electric Limited in Butwal, stopped work putting forth a seven-point demand from November 23, 2018.