The 10 February "deadline" trade unions had given government to resolve the dispute over the 10 percent service charge is nearing and so is the beginning of the new tourism season. But there is no word yet on what's happening on work to resolve the problem.

Bishnu Lamsal, secretary of the Hotel Workers' Joint Agitation Committee, told us the unions have not met the deputy prime minister since the last-minute compromise reached on 10 Decembers and unions decided to postpone their strike. Nor have they sat down with the other government committee that is working to find a way out.

The government had sought more time to allow the committee headed by National Planning Commission vice-chairman Prithivi Raj Ligal to complete its work and recommend a way out. There's no word on how far the committee has gone, even though we've been told that the industry has begun work in identifying clauses in the labour law that need to be changed.