A strike by sanitation workers in Birgunj Metropolitan City ended on Monday after an agreement between the protesting workers and the contractor company under the mediation of the metropolitan office.

The workers returned to duty following talks held at the metropolitan hall, chaired by acting mayor Imtiyaz Aalam and attended by Chief Administrative Officer Basanta Bahadur Bohara. The meeting included elected representatives, ward chairs, municipal staff and representatives of the protesting sanitation workers.

Under the agreement, sanitation workers will receive their salaries between the 5th and 10th of every Nepali month. The minimum wage set by the government will be implemented, and overtime allowance will be provided if workers are required to work more than eight hours a day.

It was also agreed that the contractor will cover first aid expenses for workers injured on duty and provide necessary safety equipment. The agreement further states that workers will not be subjected to any form of mistreatment.

Local Nepali sanitation workers facing potential job loss due to citizenship-related technical issues will not be removed from employment, according to the agreement.

Acting mayor Aalam said the dispute was resolved by addressing the legitimate demands of the workers to ensure that sanitation services were not disrupted. He said sanitation workers play a key role in keeping the city clean, and the municipality remains committed to respecting their labour.

The agreement was signed by Shiva Kumar Gupta, operator of NK International Management Pvt Ltd, which is responsible for sanitation management, and representatives of the protesting workers.

With the strike over, waste collection and management services, which had been halted for several days, resumed.