Kathmandu: The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) locked the management office of Nagarik Daily on Wednesday morning after repeated demands raised by working journalists were allegedly ignored by the management.
According to the Federation, the lockout was carried out at the office of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nagarik Daily, demanding implementation of service benefits, timely remuneration, and enforcement of labor contracts in accordance with the Labor Act.
The FNJ stated that despite long-standing efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue, the management’s continued negligence forced the Federation to take the step as part of its protest program.
Meanwhile, the management of Nagarik Daily has filed a case at the High Court against the central committee of the Federation of Nepali Journalists and the president of its Nagarik branch.
The Federation further informed that earlier, three working journalists had also been sued by the management simply for demanding payment for work already performed.
The President of the Nagarik Daily Association stated that the Federation has been carrying out a peaceful movement to safeguard the rights and interests of working journalists, and strongly objected to the management’s actions. He accused the management of attempting to suppress the voices of affected journalists through various conspiracies instead of addressing their legitimate concerns.
Following the incident, calls have emerged for resolving the dispute through dialogue and mutual agreement between both parties. However, the Federation has warned that the protest will continue until the rights of working journalists are fully ensured.