July 05, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 19, 1428

HYDERABAD, July 4: Employees of Wapda and Hesco staged rallies on a call given by the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union in many districts of the province on Wednesday demanding repeal of the Removal from Services Ordinance 2000 and cancellation of plans to privatise Wapda.

In Hyderabad, the Hesco and Wapda workers staged a rally, which terminated at the press club.

Central chairman of Hydro Union, Abdul Latif Nizamani, Iqbal Kaimkhani, Malik Sultan and Mir Khan Baloch who led the rally demanded upgradation in pay scales of all the Wapda employees on the pattern of clerks, repeal of the ordinance, withdrawal of decision to privatise Wapda and abolition of income tax on house rent and electric supply.

They condemned the misuse of ordinance against workers and accused the Hesco officials of failing to provide proper kit to the workers and putting their lives in jeopardy.

They demanded that the government should appoint an inquiry commission to probe into the causes of line losses and slow pace of recovery.

The All-Pakistan Powerhouses Administration Committee also staged a demonstration at the gate of thermal power house in Jamshoro.

The committee leaders, Sajan Panhwar and Mohammad Hanif Ansari demanded that the government should help Wapda recover Rs1.22 trillion from various national organisations including KESC. If the amount was recovered, Wapda would become a profitable organisation, they said and added that the decision to privatise national enterprises should be withdrawn, generation and hardship allowance should be restored and the ban on house acquisition allowance should be lifted.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Members of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union staged a rally, which marched on the National Highway, Padidan Road and Court Road before reaching the local press club where the participants staged a demonstration and a sit-in for about an hour. Mohammad Yaqoob Solangi and Ali Nawaz Malik who led the protest termed the Ordinance 2000 a black law and demanded its withdrawal.

They said that the employees would not accept privatisation of Wapda.

NAWABSHAH: Members of Hydro Union staged a rally, which stared from the office of executive engineer of Hesco and terminated at the local press club after marching on different roads.

Union leaders, Fazal Shaikh, Nizamuddin Mali and Maqsood Ali Shaikh criticised the government for privatisation of Wapda and demanded that the government should raise salaries of Wapda employees, restore deceased quota of jobs, increase house rent up to 70 per cent, promote employees, provide them well-equipped instrument for safety and withdraw Ordinance 2000. They also demanded cancellation of plans to privatise Wapda.

DADU: A large number of Wapda employees staged a rally against on the call given by Hydro Union.

The labour leaders demanded withdrawal of Presidential Ordinance 2000.