Collective bargaining: PEPCO accepts workers’ union demands

Special mechanisms have been designed for workers who died on-duty

LAHORE: The management of the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) on Thursday agreed to all demands of the All Pakistan Hydroelectric Workers’ Union.

The decision came at a meeting between Pepco officials and union representatives. The accepted demands include the payment of one-month ex-gratia pay to employees of distribution companies nationwide and those employed at thermal power stations before Eid, a 100 per cent raise in salaries of workers who have been working for more than 10 years and have no avenue for promotion; an increase in basic pay scales of senior clerks from BPS-9 to 11; a 30 per cent raise in basic pay scales of workers in BPS-1 to 15 and a raise of Rs1,400 in the job and crew allowance of grid station management staff. Additionally, pay scales of bill distributors would be raised from BPS-5 to BPS-7 and workers with polytechnic diplomas would be promoted as SSOs and LSs in BPS-14.

Special mechanisms have also been put in place for families of workers who died on-duty. The amount of compensation to the kin of the deceased has been raised from Rs1 million to Rs2 million. They would also be provided benefits such as family pension, double group life insurance, Workers Welfare Fund and 365-days leave encashment. Furthermore, one child of the deceased would be given a post in accordance with their qualifications.

PEPCO Board of Governors President Muhammad Younis Dhoga, Managing Director (MG) Umer Rasool, Human Resource (HR) General Manager (GM) Saeed Ahmed and HR Director Mian Sagheer Ahmed had represented the company’s management at the meeting. Veteran union leader Khurshid Ahmed, general secretary Abdul Latif Nizamani, president Haji Ramazan Achakzai, joint president Gohar Taj had represented workers on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2015.