PESHAWAR: The All Pakistan Wapda Hydroelectric Workers Union in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has made it clear that their province-wide protest in support of their legitimate demands will continue until these demands are accepted.
The demands include the privatisation of distribution companies, as called for by the union leaders, the recovery of kidnapped Pesco employees from Bannu, and the closure of the marriage grant scholarship program. They are also seeking an end to illegal and unfair deductions on bonuses, and the payment of HHU allowances to meter readers.
Workers from three companies staged a protest sit-in at divisional headquarters across the province against delays in the service structure for LUMSIM employees and the lack of salary increases for part-time employees. The main sit-in took place at Wapda House in Peshawar, where thousands of workers participated.
Key figures at the sit-in included Provincial Chairman Haji Muhammad Iqbal, Secretary Noorul Amin Haiderzai, Vice Chairman Yasir Kamran, Central Chairman Gohar Taj, Secretary Finance Nasir Khan, and Chief Coordinator TISCO Pir Durrani. They addressed the gathering, highlighting that despite a 70% staff shortage and a deteriorating law and order situation, the remaining workers generated a profit of approximately 20 billion rupees for PESCO this year compared to last year.
The speakers criticised the PESCO Board of Directors for violating workers’ rights by approving only half of the due bonus, despite the risks faced by field staff who often sacrifice their lives due to electrical accidents while on duty.
They warned the government, the Ministry of Energy, the Power Division, PESCO, TISCO, and the HAZICO Board of Directors against proceeding with the privatisation of WAPDA and the recruitment of staff in the three electricity distribution companies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They demanded that every worker receive a bonus equivalent to one month’s basic salary, that the scholarship and marriage grant programs be reinstated, that temporarily hired employees be regularised, and that increases in part-time salaries and prompt payments of HHU allowances to meter readers be ensured.
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Additionally, they urged the safe recovery of five Pesco employees who were kidnapped from Bannu Cantt Police Station on September 12. If their demands are not accepted, they warned that the province-wide protest and sit-in at Wapda House on Shami Road in Peshawar would continue. Notable speakers at the sit-in included Abdul Jabbar, Anwar Mahmood, Firdous Khan, Dawood Khan, Himayatullah Khan, and Jan Muhammad.
