PESHAWAR/DI KHAN/HANGU:
Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (Heclu) and All Pakistan Employees Coordination Council (Apecc) protested in different parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Wednesday against the decision to privatise Water And Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco).
Peshawar
Hundreds of Pesco workers took out a rally in the provincial capital against the potential privatisation of Wapda.
Holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the move, employees, under the banner of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union, marched from Jinnah Park to the K-P Assembly. The protest was led by the union’s central chairman Gohar Taj, provincial chairman Haji Muhammad Iqbal, and other office bearers.
Addressing protesters in front of the assembly, Taj claimed the move will not only result in several redundancies, it will also increase electricity prices.
“The government should not privatise the companies; rather, it should use its resources to produce cheap electricity from hydel and coal reservoirs in the country and help Wapda employees by increasing their salaries in accordance with the price hike,” said Iqbal, after Taj’s speech.
DI Khan
Separately, protesters in DI Khan locked their offices in protest and marched on Circular Road, shouting slogans against the utility companies.
At the rally, Apecc DI Khan President Fida Hussain Baloch said all employees are united on one platform and are against the privatisation of Wapda and Pesco. He added it was against the interest of the country and warned of demonstrations across Pakistan if Wapda and Pesco were privatised.
Heclu President Muhammad Nawaz Gandapur also spoke to the protesters; he claimed the centre failed to provide a stable and corruption free government-run institution. “We will not accept these policies – privatisation is against the interest of the poor employees,” he added.
Hangu
Meanwhile, Wapda officials in Hangu threatened to set themselves on fire in front of the Parliament if the government does not take back its decision.
Leading the protest at Hangu XEN office, Divisional Heclu Chairman Hayat Wazir Bangash said Wapda employees along with 21 other organisations will launch demonstrations against the decision. Members of the Paramedical Association also participated in the protest to show solidarity to the cause.
Wapda officials in Lower Dir also took out a rally. “This move will destabilise the future of our children,” said Yousaf Khan, the Wapda labour union chairman for Timergara. He led the protesters to Timergara Press Club where they chanted slogans against the privatisation.
The employees of Wapda in Dargai tehsil of Malakand also participated in this protest.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2014.
Privatization is the best solution…All these protesters are there for their selfishness. They want to protect their commission filled job. If WAPDA employees had performed their jobs according to their delegation and did not cheat the system by tempering meters or receiving kickbacks for providing free electricity then WAPDA would be one of the richest corporation of PAKISTAN and their salaries / jobs would have been most secure…..Unfortunately they did not care and axed their own foot.
I think this menace of Bribe is so wide spread in WAPDA and misuse of power by WAPDA employees is considered as their right, which is why WAPDA cannot be fixed and privatization is the only solution.
They all are responsible to a degree in the mess that Wapda and Pesco. Nation can’t foot the bill to keep these people employed year after year. Privatization is the best solution and government should do it.