Wapda employees rally against privatisation

Hundreds of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) employees and workers of the labour unions staged a sit-in demonstration outside the Parliament House against the privatisation of Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) here on Wednesday. They also took out a protest rally. The demonstration and protest rally were organised by the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union and was attended by the representatives of Engineers Associations and Wapda officers and a large number of Wapda employees and workers from all over the country.
The protesters had gathered at the Parade Avenue to press the government to reverse the decision to privatise power units in the country.
The enraged protestors were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the government’s policies towards WAPDA and PEPCO and against privatisation, inflation and unemployment and in favour of their demands. They also chanted slogans against the government for privatising WAPDA, IESCO, PEPCO and other power companies. Large contingents of police were also present on the occasion to maintain law and order and avert any untoward situation.
The protest rally was led by CBA Secretary General hursheed Ahmad and Central President Abdul Latif Nizamani besides other representatives.
Khursheed Ahmad said that during the previous month President Zardari had assured them that PEPCO would not be dissolved and that the government would not privatise the power companies and other units. “But unfortunately the PPP led government flouted its own president’s decision and was privatising those power units,” he observed.
He warned that the after the privatisation, the units’ service quality would be compromised like the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESCO).
He said the government was under pressure from the IMF and World Bank and decided to privatise the utilities to get $2 billion. He also presented a number of other demands for the employees of the power units being privatised.
Abdul Latif Nizami, another leader, said the government was acting on ‘anti-public’ policies. He said the WAPDA workers were not ready to accept the government’s decision and warned they could go to any lengths like suspending the power supply to the entire country.
The leaders urged the government to find some ‘peaceful’ solution of the issue through dialogue and discussion and postpone the privatisation process. They warned the government of nation-wide protests if the government failed to accept their demands.