Employees reported of not being paid for two months 

Employment: About 83 employees of SKW-Tashi Metals and Alloys Private Limited of Pasakha have sought the Phuentsholing labour office’s intervention to avail their two months salary.

The company, it has been learnt has temporarily remained shut since July this year.

SKW-Tashi Metals and Alloys Private Limited is calcium silicon manufacturing plant in Pasakha worth Nu 1123.22 million. It is a partnership between Tashi Metals and Alloys Private Limited and the German based company SKW Stahl Metallurgie Holding AG.

According to labour officials, the 83 employees of the FDI Company had appealed on December 1 seeking intervention.

Regional labour director, Sonam Tenzin said the employees had not received their salary for October and November this year.

“We went for inspection that same day,” he said, adding the labour office then issued a notice on the non-payment of salary. “We gave the company time, until today to make the payment.”

Sonam Tenzin said their office-received information from the company yesterday evening that the employees were paid. “We have to follow up with the employees now,” the regional director said.

One of the employees said they were paid the October salary in full while they received only 80 percent of their salaries for November. They are expecting the remaining 20 percent to be deposited today.  “The company should have informed us about the situation and now we are wonder if they would say pay us the salary for December,” the employee, a father of two said.

Although the company has been closed since July, employees were paid their salaries monthly. There are more than 200 employees.

Key officials of the company could not be contacted for comments on the current status of the company and the reasons for its closure.

Commissioned in 2011, the FDI Company has the German SKW hold 51 percent of the ownership, while the remaining 49 percent belongs to Tashi Metals. The project was approved in 2008.

Rajesh Rai, Phuentsholing