Power company disempowers union chairman

In a move that is akin to adding fuel to fire, the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) sacked the KESC Labour Union Chairman Akhlaq Ahmed on Saturday, Pakistan Today has learnt. Sources told this scribe that following this move, the existing tussle between the power company’s management and over 4,000 of the utility’s protesting employees could intensify. They said that Ahmed, who is leading the KESC workers’ protest against the company, was sacked by the utility’s management, which in turn is likely to exacerbate the existing power situation in the city that has already been deteriorating since the protest began.
KESC sources confirmed that Ahmed has been sacked, but they could not provide this scribe with the reasons for firing the KESC Labour Union chairman. However, the sources added, the manner in which the chairman has been fired is illegal as there is a well-defined legal procedure for taking action against KESC Labour Union members if need be. They said that after making a complete charge-sheet, the power company’s management should have first approached the Sindh Labour Court against the KESC Labour Union chairman. Condemning the sacking, representatives of various labour unions of the power utility, including the People’s Workers Union, said that no anti-workers move would stop them from struggling for their rights, and that they would now demonstrate against the foreign management of the KESC more strongly.
“On the one hand, the management is deliberately reducing the cost of power generation, leaving the city without electricity for over 12 hours; and on the other hand, the utility is firing its valued employees, proving once again that there is no one to stop them and they are free to do whatever they please,” said People’s Workers Union General Secretary Lateef Mughal. He said that the workers cannot be kicked out of the company, and that the employees would not let the foreign firm running the KESC to take anti-company or anti-workers steps. He also said that besides the chairman, the management has also fired almost 20 workers in the last few days.
KESC Shareholders Association General Secretary Chaudhry Mazhar also condemned Ahmed’s firing, saying that it was an illegal move since the due procedure was not adopted by the management of the power company.
He said that the management should step forward to display some flexibility towards the protesting workers since in the current circumstances, not only the employees but the entire city is facing difficulties.
It is worth mentioning here that the KESC management has already stopped issuing salaries to the protesting employees, including those who are actively supporting their former colleagues.