Unattended complaints: Industrialists irked by KESC’s attitude

The power supplier refused to attend to any faith until issues addressed.

KARACHI:

Industrial associations of Karachi on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the intimidation letters of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) saying that the company would not take up the maintenance complaints of industries until the government listens to the problems of KESC.

SITE Association of Industry Chairman Abdul Wahab Lakhani said that he was shocked to receive an email from the SITE Area chief of KESC informing him about the suspension of business operations till further orders and that they will not attend to any complaint till the government steps in and resolves their issues.

The number of pending complaints has now reached in hundreds and is increasing with every passing hour, he said, adding that if matters continue like this, there will be a total shut down of production that would result in unemployment and loss of Pakistan’s export markets.

The standoff between the KESC management and the Collective Bargaining Agent is a cause of concern for all businessmen. These power outages are driving people out of their homes to protests but unfortunately the KESC management as well as the government has so far failed to control the problems.

SITE Industrial Area, with more than 4,000 industries and employing more than a million regular and daily wage wagers, is already facing grave power problems. It has been over a month since the KESC management and workers had locked horns over the lay-offs of thousands of employees; the workers are protesting against management.

Speaking with The Express Tribune, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry Chairman Syed Johar Ali Qandhari said that KESC workers left their temporary offices on Wednesday. There are some reports that KESC management has called back all temporary workers and direct them not to attend maintenance complaints until the ground situation improves.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2011.