Workers rights: KESC labour union prepare for battle

KARACHI: After a brief let-up in management-union rows in the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), its labour union gave an ultimatum of ten days to the management to implement the agreement brokered on July 26. It also warned the management of re-launching a massive protest campaign if its demands are not met, they said on Friday. The president of the KESC CBA union, Usman Baloch, said that around 4,500 employees were not paid for the past five months plunging them into severe financial constraints. Baloch crticised strongly, to what he described as lame tactics of KESC for

circulating a video of workers protesting outside the utility office and implicating them as terrorists. “We went there on the eve of Eid Day to demand our salaries through peaceful means but security guards opened fire on our workers creating panic.” He appealed citizens to stand by them in a movement against violation of workers’ rights. The labour union never wanted to adopt an aggressive approach but management compelled them to take to the streets, he added.

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