The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) asked members of its defunct labour union on Wednesday to stop dragging their families into their “theatrical and blackmailing media stunts”, referring to a recent demonstration staged by children of the utility’s terminated employees. In a press statement issued by the KESC, the power utility expressed disappointment over this “unethical exploitation” and advised the defunct union’s office-bearers to refrain from resorting to negative tactics, which could affect the mental health of their coming generations.
The KESC said that now that the union has failed to build any valid legal or economic case against the power utility’s Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) and lost on legal, social and moral grounds, it has started playing emotional tricks to garner support for their flailing cause. First they had staged a false self-immolation demonstration where a protester set his jacket on fire and it immediately pulled off by others, who were on standby.
Not only was this recent demonstration at KESC’s head office in violation of the Section 144 imposed by the governing administration, but in fact the law enforcers themselves had lodged FIR No 38/2012 at the Gizri police station as a violation of the Section 324/24, against the two theatrical protestors, who staged the ‘self-immolation’.
The KESC pointed out that a huge amount of Rs 4.5 billion had already been disbursed among over 3,200 non-core employees who had accepted the VSS. These beneficiaries have been able to move on with their lives in a positive direction after pocketing an average of Rs 1,500,000 as the parting payout.
All former employees have expressed satisfaction over the arrangement and they were starting a new life, with this additional windfall which has gone to their benefit and that of their families, especially since these non-core workers are being given a sum equivalent to their five years’ salary on an average.
The KESC said most of the protesters’ leaders have been offered a handsome VSS payout package commensurate with their service at the KESC: Mohd Akhlaq Khan Rs 3,600,000, Abdul Wahid Kazmi Rs 4,300,000, Ghulam Asgher Shah Rs 3,800,000, Riaz Ahmed Rs 3,400,000, KM Idris Rs 3,400,000, Juma Chandio, Nazir Gul, Matin Sakrani, Samand Khan and Amir Muhammad Rs 3,000,000 each and Matin Sakrani and Usman Baloch Rs 2,900,000 each.
The KESC said on humanitarian grounds, the KESC has also been dispensing a “relief package” to all these remaining non-core employees as a gesture of goodwill till their economic sanity takes over and they accept the VSS.
Even those who had been taking part in subversion and disruption campaign of the union have been receiving the relief package, yet they have been appearing before the media and falsely claiming hardships due to lack of income.
The KESC invited the remaining non-core employees to accept the VVS and file applications till the last date, February 10, 2012, after which no applications would be entertained and this windfall benefit will have its curtains drawn.
