HYDERABAD: Employees condemn ‘anti-labour’ policies: Protests against privatisation
Dawn Report
HYDERABAD, July 12: Employees of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Wapda on Wednesday took out processions in various parts of Sindh against privatisation of national institutions and for repeal of the Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002 and the Presidential Ordinance 2000.
In Hyderabad, Wapda employees took out a procession from the Labour Union Hall to the press club, led by central leaders of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, Abdul Latif Nizamani, Iqbal Kaimkhani, Azam Khan, Malik Sultan and Mir Khan Baloch.
Throughout the march, workers raised anti-privatisation slogans.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Latif Nizamani said the government was privatising vital national institutions that had showed progress over the years due to sacrifices of labourers.
He said labourers would not tolerate the sale of these institutions at throw-away prices, adding that construction of dams, generation of power, running of tube-wells were directly linked with the efforts of 147,000 Wapda employees who were on roads to protest the privatisation process.
Only labourers, he claimed, were raising voice against price hike and unemployment.
Describing the privatisation as a conspiracy, he said workers would foil it because this move would harm the national integrity.
The labour leader said their protests would continue unless privatisation of the power houses of Faisalabad, Lakhra, Jamshoro was stopped.
Condemning the IRO 2002 and Presidential Ordinance 2000, he called for their repeal and warned officers not to harass workers.
LARKANA: Wapda employees under the banner of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union observed a ‘demands day’ and hoisted black flags on offices and took out a procession here on Wednesday.
NAWABSHAH: Hesco employees, under the banner of the Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, took out a protest procession here for their demands.
The procession started from the powerhouse Manuabad and culminated at the press club.
Carrying placards and banners, protesters were raising slogans against anti-worker steps of the government.
Speaking on the occasion, their leaders demanded repeal of the Presidential Ordinance 2000, an end to forced retirement, increase in salaries, reinstatement of selection grade and move-over, withdrawal of the privatisation process.
SANGHAR: A large number of Hesco employees in Sanghar took out a procession.
Speaking in front of the local press club, the labour leaders rejected the proposed nationalisation of Wapda and demanded repeal of Presidential Ordinance 2000.
Speakers said the ordinance 2000 was against the labourers.
MIRPURKHAS: The Mirpurkhas division of the union on Wednesday took out a procession against price hike, unemployment and privatisation.
Protesters carrying banners and placards reached the press club.
