Kapilvastu’s Yashoda Foods workers protest over low pay and poor facilities

Hundreds of workers at Yashoda Foods Pvt. Ltd. in Kapilvastu have gone on strike.

The workers, based in Birpur of Shivaraj Municipality-6, started their protest last Thursday. They complained about poor facilities, delayed salaries, discrimination, and lack of women-friendly support at the factory. Since then, they have been staging a sit-in at the main gate of the company.

As the protest grew, workers began chanting slogans inside the factory premises. They said they will not return to work until their demands are addressed.

Worker Kamlesh Gupta, who has been with the company for years, said they are being exploited. He claimed they work 12 hours a day but are paid only 750 rupees per day, often with delays.

Another worker, Arjun Tharu, said their salaries have not increased despite repeated requests. “We raised our demands many times, but no one listened. That’s why we had to protest,” he said.

Female workers also shared their problems. Sharmila Rawat said even after working night shifts, they do not receive the government-set pay. She added that during major festivals like Teej, they do not get any allowances, making celebrations difficult. Rawat also complained that women workers are given low-quality sanitary pads in very small quantities, and no medical support is provided even in case of minor injuries.

Similarly, Puja Chaudhary, who has worked at the company for one and a half years, said they are sometimes turned back on the way to work because salaries are not paid. She also said workers at other sites of the company receive 900 rupees per day, while they get less, which she called discrimination.

On Friday morning, the workers continued their protest with slogans inside the industry area and later went to Shivaraj Municipality office. They submitted their grievances to Mayor Ajay Thapa, who assured them that no worker should face injustice. He urged company representatives and contractors to immediately address the issues. The municipality also issued a notice to ensure minimum wages and social security enrollment.

However, Yashoda Foods representative Ganesh Bhatt claimed the workers were hired through contractors, and the company itself has no direct responsibility. He warned that if the workers continue protesting, the company may cancel the agreement with the contractor.

Arjun Chaudhary from Angita Manpower, the contractor responsible for worker management, said he will hold talks with the protesting workers to find a solution. He added that he was not aware of the problems before but now plans to address the demands and send workers back to their jobs.