WAPDA union elections: Over 22,000 workers from Sindh to take part in referendum

Office bearers of the two main unions fear rigging and violence.

HYDERABAD: As many as 22,000 workers of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in Sindh will cast their vote in the May 29 referendum amid fears of violence and rigging.

Through the referendum - the first in six years - people will elect the central, provincial and divisional office bearers of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) union. Two workers union - Pakistan Wapda Hydro Workers Union and Pakistan Wapda Pegham Union - are in the race for the country-wide referendum, with 150,000 registered voters.

The incumbent chairperson of Sindh CBA union, Sajjan Panhwar, alleged that Hydro Union was in a position to manipulate the referendum as it has been in power for the last 45 years. He also said that leaders and supporters of his group are being harassed. “We want Rangers to be deployed in polling stations to stop rigging.”

Countering the allegations against his group, the head of Hydro Union in Sindh, Abdul Latif Nizamani, said that they have defeated Pegham Union four times and this will be their fifth victory. Previously named as Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, Niazamni’s group’s registration was cancelled by the Islamabad High Court around four months back but it is taking part in the referendum under a new name. His group strongly opposes privatisation of Wapda, distribution and power generation companies.

The election will be jointly supervised by the National Industrial Relations Commission and the provincial labour departments.

A total of 48 polling stations have been set up in Sindh for the purpose.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2013.