LAHORE: A large number of workers on Tuesday staged a demonstration in front of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) headquarters on Queen’s Road to protest the rising number of fatal accidents involving line staff.

Carrying banners and placards in support of their demands, the demonstrators raised slogans against the management for its indifferent attitude towards ensuring safe working conditions for the field staff.

Some 25 or so linemen were electrocuted while performing duty in two weeks. Two workers lost their lives each in Jia Mussa and Shahdara sub-divisions while another died at Muridke sub-division due to electric shock during the last four days, said a resolution unanimously adopted by representatives of the All-Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Workers Union at a meeting after the demonstration.

More than 200 workers of the electricity department sacrifice their lives every year while performing duties on lines and grids. The number of workers who lose their limb or become disabled is much more.

“The fatal accidents could have been prevented had the strength of line staff commensurate with the expansion of electricity network and there been implementation of safety laws in letter and spirit. No recruitment had been made for the last many years in spite of the fact that the number of consumers increased manifold and new lines and grid stations constructed.

“There had been neither any provision of standard safety gadgets nor adequate training facilities for the field staff,” said the resolution presented by veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmed.

The resolution demanded that causes of accidents should be investigated, responsibility be fixed and preventive measures be enforced to minimise chances of such accidents in the future.

The dependants of victims, especially widows and orphan children, should be fully taken care of by providing them with pension at increased rates and provision of employment. The compensation should be increased to at least Rs3 million.

The resolution also urged the federal government to transfer workers welfare funds to the provincial boards so that the secured workers could get sanctioned death and marriage grants.

The demonstrators dispersed peacefully after around two hours.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2014