Maoists target Annapurna trek as NTY nears

DINESH KARKI
KATHMANDU, March 13: Disregarding the Maoist commitment not to create obstacle to Nepal Tourism Year 2011, Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Tourism Workers Union, Kaski (ANTWU) has called for restriction on trekking workers in the Annapurna Circuit, a major trekking route, from Sunday.

To press its demand for increase in salary and other facilities, ANTWU in a letter has requested tourism entrepreneurs not to send trekking guides, porters, Sherpas and helps in the route from March 14. The letter is signed by Dhana Bahadur Tamang, the president of ANTWU, Kaski region.
"This will send a negative message in the international arena and this will be very bad for Nepal´s tourism campaign," Rajendra Bajgain, the general secretary of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN) told myrepublica.com.

Meanwhile, ANTWU´s Tamang says they are fighting for just cause. "We are bound to go for stir as no concerning bodies and organizations listened to us," Tamang said in the letter.

Trekking season will start in March-end in the major hills and mountain regions. The protest has been spearheaded by the trekking workers belonging to Annapurna Tea House seeking better pay various facilities.

They are demanding at least Rs 1,400 per day for a guide, Rs 1,100 per day for Sherpa guides, Rs 1,000 for helps, Rs 1100 for camping guide, Rs 1,000 for cook, Rs 800 for spare Sherpa kitchen (Rs 1,200 for dry kitchen), insurance worth Rs 1.5 million for each person, a written contract for all workers among other things. They have given till March 18 for fulfilling the demands.

"If the demands are not met within that time, we will be bound to stop Nepalis in the route and allow only foreigners," Tamang has warned in the letter sent to the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management, Labor Office, Pokhara, District Administration Office Kaski, All Nepal Trade Union Federation and ANTWU head office on March 9.

Regarding ANTWU demands, TAAN´s Bajgain says, "The tourism entrepreneurs are not in position to increase the salaries and other facilities as this will ultimately make trekking costlier in Nepal." He says trekking workers are enjoying wages 600 to 700 percent higher than that of ordinary workers in Nepal.

According to tourism entrepreneurs, such strikes will ultimately make trekking costlier in Nepal and they will lose out to entrepreneurs in Tibet and Pakistan.

"TAAN wants peaceful settlement, we are ready for talks," Bajgain further added.

In 2011, Nepal plans to bring in one million tourists including 200,000 trekkers.

Generally, about 40 per cent of the tourists coming to Nepal go for trekking.

Published on 2010-03-13 22:00:18