November 24: The workers employed at the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Biratnagar have started a protest programme accusing the Trans Nepal Thread Services Pvt. Ltd. of being involved in labor exploitation. The workers claim that they resorted to protest for not getting facilities as per the Labor Act while working under Trans Nepal.

There are about 300 workers working under the Trans Nepal at Biratnagar Customs. They organized a press conference outside the ICP on Monday and have warned the concerned authorities about intensifying the protest.

The workers say that despite multiple rounds of discussions and meetings with stakeholders regarding facilities as per the labor act, Trans Nepal has been turning a deaf ear to their requests. Shambhu Kumar Yadav, who has been working since a long time at the Biratnagar Customs expressed his discontent while sharing that they were forced to protest after their problems were not resolved in an amicable manner. “Even after working in the customs for so many years, even the minimum facility specified by the Labor Act has not been provided. Our demand for facilities as per the law has not been heard till now,” said Yadav.

Trans Nepal Thread Service Pvt. Ltd. had had been sub-contracted by the Intermodal Transport Development Committee for five years to manage the ICP. The contract was signed for  Rs 350 million. The company supplies workers to the ICP through contractors.

The workers have placed forth a nine-point demand including facility as per the Labor Act. They have warned that the ICP will be closed from November 28 if their demands are not met.

Meanwhile, Laxmi Subba, the head of the office of Trans Nepal Thread Service Pvt. Ltd. has said that the workers working at the customs were independent workers and not their employees. “We are related in no way with them,” said Subba.