The restaurant has been closed since August 10 after some of the workers affiliated to All Nepal Trade Unions Federation (ANTUF) - a Maoist affiliated trade union - manhandled employees and misbehaved with the management while protesting the recruitment of a new manager.

"We decided to resume the operations of the eatery after we signed a pact with the officials of All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers´ Association (ANHRWA) on Tuesday," Annamaria Forgione, managing director of Fire and Ice, told Republica.

 

The restaurant had to close down for a month due to similar labor unrest in 2009.

The agreement was reached after the agitating workers agreed to let the management lay off one of the five workers who were identified as creating trouble and were involved in scuffle in the restaurant. The management had initially planned to fire all five workers involved in the unruly behavior as a precondition for reopening the restaurant. 

 

"Following the agreement with the trade union on Tuesday, we fired one worker who has been creating trouble," Forgione stated.

 

Prakash Shrestha, president of ANHRWA, said misunderstandings between the management and the workers have been removed after the agreement. "Now, workers will remain in discipline and will cooperate with the management in the operation of the restaurant," he said.

 

In the pact signed between the management and the trade union, both sides have agreed to abide by the labor law and committed not to repeat mistakes that could affect normal operations of the restaurant in the future.

 

Trade union officials have agreed not to launch any strike illegally and the management has also promised to deal with the labor problems in a cordial manner. The company employs 71 workers including 46 full timers. 

Forgione said that the restaurant will continue its operation as before but has withheld its expansion plan for now. She said she was ready to open five more outlets in Nepal if problems of labor unrest are resolved. "But if similar kind of misconduct is repeated, I will pull out my investment from the country forever."

 

According to the officials, the restaurant has been paying its workers much higher than the government-set minimum wage.