KESC employees stage sit-in protest

Talks between lay off workers of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) and acting Governor Sindh Nisar Khukro on Friday proved unsuccessful which led them to stage sit-in at Fawara Chowk near Governor House Sindh, demanding removal of surplus sacking of Managing Director of company Tabish Gohar forthwith.
Thousands of sacked employees of KESC demonstrated against non-serious attitude of company's management, vowing to continue their struggle until their demands are met. The participants carrying placards inscribed with slogans and also they shouted these against KESC administration and government officials. Addressing the demo President CBA union Akhlaq Ahmed alleged that due to non- co-operative attitude of KESC administration frequent supply of utility is badly affected.
He added that so far their protest had been peaceful now if the government failed to take steps to resolve their issues, the situation might go out of control. He added that the "The KESC workers had made Karachi a city of lights but the present owners of KESC had converted it into a city of darkness," he said.
He alleged that the KESC was not purchasing enough furnace oil to run its power generating units at full capacity and resultantly the innocent consumers had to brave hours of long load shedding. Ikhlaq was of the view only experienced workers of the KESC can run the utility properly but the private owners want to sack old and experienced workers and recruit inexperienced and unskilled manpower on contract basis.
He also demanded a probe into oil purchase and usage by the KESC so that to know the comparative figures of oil purchase and usage before and after the privatisation of the KESC. Leader Pakistan People Party during his visit at demo to express solidarity with KESC workers ensured his all out support in solving the matter. He said federal ministers Naveed Qamar and Khursheed Shah have been assigned a task to figure out the problem following the instructions of President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari.
Both Federal Ministers also assured steps for release of withheld salary of employees' who have not accepted the voluntarily retirement scheme of administration and restoration of their services as regular employees, Taj added. He said that all the sacked workers should be reinstated immediately and given all the outstanding dues of the employers. On the other hand, Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has converted the termination of 290 officers in November 2009 into Golden Handshake Package.
The step has been taken in view of financial difficulties faced by the terminated employees. KESC has advised the terminated officers to contact Human Resource Department of the utility during the next week. Numberless non-core employees expressed their willingness to accept the final Voluntary Separation Scheme on the last day, July 15. However, the defunct union miscreants manhandled them in a bid to block their approaching the Human Resource Department of the utility, claimed KESC spokesman.
Earlier A delegation of the KESC trade union called on Governor Sindh along with leaders of CBA union, at Governor House. Ruling PPP's General Secretary of Sindh chapter Taj Haider, PPP Karachi division's President Najmi Alam, General Secretary Saeed Ghani and Chief of ANP Sindh chapter Shahi Syed were also present on this occasion.
They informed the Acting Governor that in violation of law, at least 4,500 employees have been put in surplus pool by the KESC administration, while other inexperience employees hired on their position. Besides, all the employees who were kept in surplus pool deprived of their salaries for the last two months. However, another 500 employees have been sacked by KESC administration, pressurising the others to accept voluntarily retirement scheme, delegation added.
They further said that KESC administration has refused to accept the suggestion forwarded by the government for solution of the lingering problem of employees' services. It is pertinent to mention here that sit-in of KESC workers is continuing till filing of this story.