From rxpgnews.com
Indian TV channel Nepal1 staff ends strike
By IANS,
May 7, 2007 - 12:24:54 PM
Kathmandu, May 7 - The staff of Indian television channel Nepal1 here have called off their 18-day strike after an agreement with the management, media reports said.
Some 83 employees of the New Delhi-headquartered TV channel had struck work, with two members even beginning a fast unto death.
However, the channel Sunday sent a representative to Kathmandu who held an eight-hour dialogue with the staff to resolve differences.
Finally, in the presence of officials from Nepal's labour and transport ministry and local journalists, an agreement was reached on paying provident fund dues, insurance and yearly increments, private radio station Himalayan Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's deputy and Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, Labour and Transport Minister Ramesh Lekhak and other Nepali leaders Monday fed fruit juice to the two fasting employees, who called off the hunger strike after three days.
Several of Nepal's top politicians, including deposed prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the prime minister's daughter Sujata Koirala and Health Minister Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, had expressed concern over the agitation.
Nepal's official media said Information and Communications Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara had met the protesters and assured them that the management of the Indian channel would be called for dialogue.
The Nepal Cable TV Association stopped broadcasting Nepal1 programmes from 7-10 p.m. in the country's main cities from Sunday to show solidarity with the strikers.
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