Serious questions have been raised over the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC)’s Severance Scheme – formerly known as Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) – after some of the power company’s employees, who opted for the scheme, are yet to receive their dues. Protesting against the company outside the Karachi Press Club, KESC workers said that the workers, who had filled out the VSS forms, were told that since there were charge-sheets against them, they could not benefit from the scheme.
“We cannot trust the chief executive officer of our company since many of our colleagues have suffered because of this scheme,” they added. However, denying the protesters’ claims, KESC sources said that around 500 workers have already benefited from the scheme and some of them are running their own businesses now. Under the Rs 5.35 billion package, 4,000 employees were to be given an upfront gross payment of a minimum of Rs 700,000 to a maximum of Rs 4,735,000.
Employees under the age of 58 were to be granted ex-gratia payment of four basic salaries in addition to one basic salary for each of their remaining years of service; while those between 58 and 60 were entitled to one basic salary for each remaining month of their service. The provident fund and gratuity were to be paid according to the entitlement. Leave encashment, medical allowance was equal to 7.5 basic salaries and free electricity entitlement was also to be given for the next five years.
