Wapda employees protest privatisation plan

RAWALPINDI:

Hundreds of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) rallied on the busy Benazir Bhutto Road (formerly Murree Road) against the dissolution of Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and  privatisation of power distribution companies here on Thursday.

Protests were carried out under the aegis of the Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union (CBA).

They also protested against the appointment of private sector chief executives with heavy remunerations, surging power tariffs on account of Rental Power Houses and Private Independent Power Houses, the prevalence of anti-labour legislation curbing fundamental rights of workers and skyrocketing price-hikes and surging rates of unemployment.

The protest was led by Wapda CBA Regional Chairman Mian Rehman Ghani, union representatives and other IESCO officials.

Addressing protestors, leaders of Wapda CBA and IESCO Engineers Association condemned the government’s energy policies and rejected the appointment of private sector chief executives.

Rehman Ghani said instead of adopting the National Economic Self-Reliance Policy, the government had “mortgaged the national economy to IFIs like the World Bank and IMF,” raising the country’s debt from Rs5 trillion to Rs9 trillion within three years.

The protesters warned the government that a country-wide movement and electricity disconnection would follow if it did not introduce the necessary economic and social reforms to make public utilities sustainable and to prevent selling of national institutions to multinational corporations.

Wapda CBA union leadership has given the federal government till December 14 to hold composite dialogues on the issue with representatives and to stop privatization of distribution companies.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2011.