Labour union protests against ‘surplus pool’

KESC labour union staged a protest against the management for creating a surplus to “isolate employees”.

KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company’s official labour union staged a protest outside the press club on Monday against the management for creating a surplus pool to “isolate employees”.

The labour union’s chairman, Akhlaq Ahmed, said KESC had outsourced 900 vehicles and drivers and so the utility’s own 900 drivers have no work. KESC had earlier sacked 4,500 employees but had to reinstate them after protests and government pressure. KESC is deliberately not giving the reinstated employees any work so it can sack them again on the pretext of redundancy, claimed Ahmed.

For their part, KESC spokesman Amir Abbasi said they have hired engineers and technical personnel as they need to run the utility efficiently. “Let KESC decide whether it needs an army of drivers or qualified engineers so that the utility can run in a manner in which paying customers are satisfied.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2011.