Trade union goes on strike over power cuts

All factions of the Battagram Trade Union have declared a complete shutter-down strike and sit-in starting Tuesday (today), in protest against the ongoing and severe power outages in the district. The union has also announced that they will withhold electricity bill payments until the power supply schedule is normalised.

For the past week, the city has been facing an extreme and unusual load-shedding, with electricity being cut off during the day and only restored in the evening when markets are closed, causing significant economic disruption. Tailors, welders, and other small businesses have been severely affected, leading to a virtual standstill in the city's commercial activity. According to the WAPDA department, this action was taken following a High Court order related to an alleged incident involving the assault of a female prisoner at the Battagram sub-jail. However, the Trade Union has dismissed this reasoning as "ridiculous," arguing that the city's daytime power supply is being cut solely to ensure continuous electricity at night for the operation of CCTV cameras in the sub-jail. They claim that this decision is tantamount to "economic murder" of the local traders, as many have been unable to work for over a week.

Following a meeting with the deputy commissioner, representatives from all factions of the Trade Union held a joint press conference, where they issued WAPDA an ultimatum. They warned that if the issue is not resolved by Monday evening so they will shut down all markets from Tuesday. Additionally, shopkeepers and people from surrounding areas plan to stage a sit-in at Kacheri Chowk if their demands are not met.