Workers protest colleague’s death

MULTAN:

Over 100 WAPDA employees’ union members, Power Looms Association Multan, Power Loom Association South Punjab, MEPCO Engineers union and MEPCO Clerical Workers Union held separate protests against Federal Secretary of Water and Power Nargis Sethi and sought her termination.

Ali Athar, a member of MEPCO Clerical Workers’ Union, told The Express Tribune that Mian Yousaf, a senior engineer was working as personal staff officer MEPCO Chief Executive Officer Muzaffar Abbasi.

He said Yousaf attended a video conference at 2 am on Friday night with other MEPCO executives. He said the man had a heart attack half way through the meeting and died on the way to hospital.

He said workers blamed Sethi for unreasonable working hours of MEPCO workers. He said Yousaf died of stress and exhaustion.

The unions announced three-day mourning and a boycott of duties until action was taken against Abbasi and Sethi.

As many as 14 protests were held on Saturday and Sunday.

The engineer’s family also joined the protests at the Multan Press Club.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2014.