July 04, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 18, 1428

HYDERABAD, July 3: Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (CBA) president Abdul Latif Nizamani has demanded of the government to upgrade pay scales of Wapda employees on the pattern of clerks and repeal the anti-labour presidential ordinance 2000. He said this ordinance was the blackest law in the history of labour laws.

He was speaking to office-bearers of various units of the union at the Labour Hall here on Tuesday. He said the decision to privatise Wapda needs to be rescinded and income tax on house rent and free electricity to Wapda employees be withdrawn.

He warned against using the presidential ordinance 2000 for harassing employees. He said a protest day will be observed throughout the country on Wednesday against the anti-labour laws and proposed privatisation of Wapda. He called upon Wapda employees to vote for the Hydro Union in the ensuing referendum.

Hesco officials, Nizamani said Hesco officials had unleashed a spate of harassment among workers by issuing no less than one dozen show-cause notices. He called for appointing a commission against Hesco employees to ascertain the real cause behind line losses and slow pace of recovery. Others who spoke on the occasion included Mohammad Iqbal Kaimkhani, Qazi Saleem Anwar and others.