KESC: Workers bring families to protest

Around 150 employees came to the office at Gizri with their families. . PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/EXPRESS

Around 150 employees came to the office at Gizri with their families. “We wanted to show everyone that our children have missed their school because of the management,” said an employee.

Most of the children were in their school uniforms, holding placards with pleas to different political leaders to intervene and stop the management from forcing the voluntary separation scheme on their fathers.

“As long as the labourers are unhappy, we will continue to fight,” shouted 10-year-old Amna Maqbool, a student of Faisal Public School. “My father was young when he joined KESC and now that he is getting old, it would be difficult for him to find another job.”

KESC has sacked over 4,500 workers who were doing odd jobs, which the company has outsourced. A voluntary severance scheme has been offered to all who were let go, which includes a payment of Rs1.5 million on the average. Around 3,200 have opted for the scheme and February 10, today has been given as a deadline to the remaining workers to decide.

Banaras Khan, a driver, said he decided against the VSS because of the retirement benefits he would be forgoing.

On their behalf, KESC said that defunct labour union was using women and children as a tactic to win their fight. Approximately, Rs4.5 billion has been paid to the 3,200 employees who have opted for VSS.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2012.