Privatisation: Electricity workers observe countrywide Protest Day

ISLAMABAD: Electricity workers on Monday observed “protest day against privatization” across the country under the aegis of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA by holding rallies and processions including Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Islamabad, Jhelum, Chakwal and other cities.

At Islamabad, the hundreds of workers held a protest demonstration in front of IESCO headquarters G-7/4. The protesters were carrying placards and banners against privatization of Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos), unemployment and high price hike of essential commodities of daily use, and in support of raising the wages and pensions and not to privatize national electricity public utility electricity companies and Thermal Power Houses in the wider public interest.

Javed Iqbal Baloch, regional chairman of the union while addressing the gathering reminded to the government that no raise of the wages and pension of the workers had been made in the annual federal budget this year despite heavy increase in the cost of living and demanded that government should freeze the prices of the essential commodities of the daily use by its reduction but also raise the wages and pension of the workers at least 30%. That was the reason that thousands of Government and Public sector workers held the mass protest at Islamabad last month for accepting those just demands.

He condemned the privatization of IESCO and other distribution companies and appointment of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company from private sector. He urged to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to learn the lesson of the failure of the privatization of Karachi Electric Supply company, Independent Power Houses which had even been acknowledged by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan itself, therefore demanded not to privatize electricity distribution companies and thermal power house on the behest of IMF instead of that raise their productivity and get prevented the tragic fatal and non-fatal accidents of line staff occurring day to day due to serious shortage of the line staff and allow the recruitment of vacant posts laying vacant for years. He further demanded to the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) to bring the contract and daily labour workers on regular basis working for years.

He urged to the government to get resolved the legitimate demands of the workers through mutual dialogue by holding mutual dialogue with workers performing the most hazardous nature of work. The rally was also addressed by Regional Secretary Haji Zahir Gul, Dy Chairman Imran Khan, Tariq Niazi, M Ishfaq, Aftab Rafique, Sajjad Hussain Sajid, Samar Bukhari, Raja Waqar Khan and others. By another resolution, it was demanded to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to establish “National Labour Commission” to settle the just demands of the workers and bring the outdated labour laws in conformity with ILO Conventions headed by Supreme Court judge and ensure the workers decent work with social protection and raise dignity of the work in the society and eliminate the aggravating unemployment and irrational gape between the rich and poor.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021