Fishtail Lodge Workers return to work

Agitating workers of Fishtail Lodge returned to work on Tuesday to create environment for talks to resolve their differences with the management.

The workers had announced shutdown of the lodge on Monday.

This had prompted the management to shift its 120 clients to other hotels in Pokhara.

The workers had announced shutdown due to differences with the management over the issue of sacking of one of the security guards, Nanda Prasad Sharma, a week ago. While the management say Sharma was fired because he refused to correct his misconducts despite repeated warnings, workers close to UCPN (Maoist) claim that the decision to sack Sharma just three days before the completion of his 240 days probation period was a foul play by the management.

The workers have demanded the management to revoke the decision and appoint him on permanent basis.

Workers said they returned to work as the closure of the lodge and shifting of clients made it difficult for them to continue talks with the management. “We are still in protest, but we will not hamper services,” said Jit Bahadur Thebe, unit president of agitating All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union (ANHRWU).

He told Republica that the union decided to return to work as the sudden closure of the lodge disseminated negative message among visitors. Thebe further said that the union has not budged from its sole demand of reinstating Sharma and appointing him on permanent basis.

Officials at the lodge said the management has taken the workers´ decision to return to work positively and that they were hopeful of resolving the differences soon.
The lodge management has also informed its reservation agents that it would not accept any booking until the differences with workers are resolved.

“We have decided not to take any reservation in a bid to prevent tourists from undue trouble,” Pradeep Shamsher Rana, general manager of Fishtail Lodge, told Republica. However, the hotel has accepted visitors willing to stay in the lodge even after knowing about the persisting differences with the workers.

Foreign tourists on premises of the lodge.

Senior staff of the lodge said Kathmandu-based Hotel De l´Annapurna , which oversees the management of Fishtail Lodge, has instructed the lodge management to address the problem at the local level.

Fishtail Lodge is the property of Jayanti Memorial Trust and Hotel De l´Annapurna has been overseeing its management since 2006. The lodge with 126 workers had recorded total turnover of Rs 80 million in the last fiscal year. It was the largest taxpayer among Pokhara hotels in the last fiscal year.