KARACHI, Feb 11: The protesting workers of the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation (KESC) have called off their hunger strike on Friday after they received "assurances" from the KESC management that their demands had been accepted , the workers said.

However, a letter dated Feb 11, 2005 from the Privatization Commission does not support this claim fully, as it does not give concrete assurances to the workers, but offers some probabilities in areas of job security, immediate restoration of trade unions, etc. The government's stand on the issue has remained almost the same.

A KESC labour leader, Lateef Mughal, told Dawn that the KESC chief, Brig Tariq Sadozai, visited the hunger strike camp at the Karachi Press Club on Friday evening and offered glasses of juice to the hunger strikers, extending assurances that their demands had been accepted, after which the protesters called off their hunger strike.

He said that Brig Sadozai had said that no retrenchment would be done; trade unions activities would be restored when the KESC was handed over to its new owner; a 20 per cent enhancement in salary would be given to the contract employees; and 10 per cent KESC shares would be given to the employees. Besides, all benefits and facilities available to the KESC employees would not be withdrawn.

However, the Privatization Commission's letter on retrenchment says: "The company employee shall not for a minimum period of one year from the closing date be terminated, laid off, retrenched or made to resign from the services except on the basis of gross misconduct..."

On the trade union issue, the letter says: "Trade union activities would commence after six months of the company's take over by its new owners." However, efforts are being made at the highest level to convince the new owners to actually allow trade union activities much before the earlier agreed time limit of six months."

Labour leader Lateef Mughal on the occasion; however, made it clear that the workers were against privatization and would continue their struggle. But, they later called off their hunger strike.

Many KESC workers had been on hunger strike against privatization. They demanded job security, regularization of contract employees, no enhancement in power tariff, etc.