KATHMANDU: Nepal's Maoists are cementing their new found political clout by establishing unions that could cripple the country and undermine a fragile peace deal, industry figures have warned.

The ultra-leftists, who renounced violence when they signed a peace deal last November, have attracted thousands of workers from sectors ranging from tourism to education.

The latest strike by a Maoist-affiliated union was on Tuesday, with 50,000 copies of a popular English language daily newspaper stuck at the printers due to a strike by delivery workers -- their second in a week.

The strike "is a part of the larger picture," said Ram Pradhan, editor of the Himalayan Times , the paper hit by the stoppage.

"It's more political than industrial. They (the Maoists) want to put pressure on all sectors and show how powerful they are," he said.

He senses that the Maoists are attempting to enlist broad support ahead of crucial elections set for November.

The vote, a key part of the peace process, will lead to formation of a body that will rewrite the constitution.

"These kind of actions," Pradhan warned of the union activity, could "endanger the peaceful transition that's supposed to be going on."

The tourism sector, a key foreign currency earner, has also been hit. "The Maoists want to establish themselves and get recognised and that's why they've been building networks in almost every sector," said Prakash Shrestha, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal.

"We don't oppose formation of trade unions but they must be practical and know their rights and limitations. If we fulfilled their every demand, the institutions would collapse," he said.

Since emerging from the jungles after 10 years of brutal civil war, the Maoists have promised to join the mainstream.

Despite being given key government portfolios, allegations of mafia-style beatings and abductions persist.

The education sector has proved fertile ground for the former rebels to build their presence, with thousands of private schools shut down in May by another strike.

"Schools have become a playground for the Maoists to pursue their political goals," said Umesh Shrestha, president of the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation of Nepal.

"We're operating our schools in constant fear and don't know when the union will close the schools down again," said Shrestha.

For other unions linked with Nepal's main political parties, the Maoists' idea of what it means to be "mainstream" remains at odds with established organisations.

"They haven't been able to give up their militarist tendencies," said Kabindra Shekhar Rimal, a top trade unionist affiliated with the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party.

"They rely on physical action and threats to get support from workers." The Maoists, however, insist they are merely making their ideological mark on an economy accustomed to a subservient workforce.

"We're fighting for the rights of labourers exploited by most organisations for many years," said Shalikram Jamarkattel, president of the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Trade Union Federation.

"It's good to see workers uniting for their rights and we're just acting as a bridge between workers and management."

Rhoderick Chalmers of the International Crisis Group urged caution, saying it was premature to label the situation a crisis and that businessmen complaining about unions was not unusual.

"The way they (the Maoists) are doing it is worrying and unpleasant, but in a way it's part of the mainstreaming process," said Chalmers.

"If you want this (peace process) to work you have to get them into the mainstream."

Sources : The Times of India -Breaking news