19 February 2004	Thursday	27 Zilhaj 1424

LAHORE, Feb 18: Wapda chairman Tariq Hamid restored a number of benefits for the workers besides constitution of a team for negotiations with the union on its charter of demands here on Wednesday.

He announced at the National Conference of Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union at the Bakhtiar Labour Hall here on Wednesday restoration of 20 per cent recruitment quota for the children of employees in consultation with the union. Earlier, the quota was 33 per cent.

Mr Hamid also announced transfer of maximum possible number of low-paid employees to the districts of their domicile within a year as a matter of policy.

He said the water wing employees transferred to power wing would be repatriated instead of making fresh recruitments. He said he was also ensuring reopening of all the closed down Wapda schools before summer vacation besides making arrangements for the training of teachers.

The chairman announced restoration of suspended increments of grade 10 to 16 employees and streamlining the procedure of disbursement of the TA/DA. He also promised engagement of work-charged employees on contract after examining their service record.

He said the demand for restoring the efficiency allowance would also be examined. The employees would be given complete medical cover and a hospital would be built in every power distribution company jurisdiction. Dentists would be posted in every hospital. Wapda would also subsidize 50 per cent cost of the uniform, he added.

Union president Latif Nizamani said the workers were disappointed due to suspension of the benefits restored by the chairman. Secretary general Khurshid Ahmad said Wapda's revenue increased from Rs186 billion to Rs216 billion and line losses reduced due to the workers' hard work. But, they were not being paid TA.

They were being victimized by using the Removal from Service Ordinance in violation of its provision. He thanked the chairman for regularization of 7,000 employees and stressed the need for extending the facility to the remaining contract employees as well besides engagement of daily wagers with prolonged service on contract.

He said grade 10 to 16 employees awaited restoration of increments after the provision of facility to grade 1 to 9 employees. He called for extending the house requisition facility to all the employees and restoration of hardship and efficiency allowances.

Senior vice-president Haji Ramzan Achakzai opposed the privatization of Wapda and demanded bringing of pay and allowances of its employees at par with their KESC counterparts.

He said the chairman should stop the misuse of Removal from Service Ordinance for victimization of employees. Vice-president Haji Latif Khan called for acceptance of demands of clerical staff and payment of TA/DA to the employees.