Protests across Sindh against plan to privatise more power utilities

Published January 23, 2015
POWER utilities’ workers attend a rally in Hyderabad as part of their nationwide protest on Thursday over plans to privatise electricity distribution firms.—Dawn
POWER utilities’ workers attend a rally in Hyderabad as part of their nationwide protest on Thursday over plans to privatise electricity distribution firms.—Dawn

HYDERABAD: Thousands of employees and other people associated with power utilities across Sindh closed their offices on Thursday to join in rallies and demonstration on a call given by the Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBC) for a nationwide protest against privatisation of national assets and appointment of power distribution companies’ chief executive officers from private sector.

The biggest rally in the province was held in Hyderabad, where CBA president Abdul Latif Nizamani and other central leaders several thousand workers marched up to the local press club and held a noisy demonstration raising slogans against the privatisation process and the government’s what they described as ‘anti-worker’ policies.

“We will never accept privatisation of national institutions at any cost,” Mr Nizamani declared, and announced that workers from across the country would hold a sit-in outside the Parliament House on Jan 28 to voice their reservations. Mr Nizamani said national institutions were the assets of 180 million citizens of the country. “Their fate cannot be arbitrarily decided by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

He said that CBA had signed an agreement with the previous PPP government, which had undertaken that power utilities would not be privatised but the incumbent government refused to honour that agreement. “Now, wor­k­ers are also not bound to abide by the agreement,” he warned.

He said the CBA opposed appointment of power utilities’ CEOs from private sector and officers, including those in Wapda, also supported the CBA over the issue and were part of the widespread protests being held in the country.

SUKKUR: All offices of the Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) in Sukkur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Kandhkot-Kashmore district were shut down by protesting workers who took out rallies in almost all small and big towns of upper Sindh. Associated with various circles and sub-divisions of the power utility, a large number of workers in Sukkur assembled in Mohammed bin Qasim Park, where many labour leaders spoke to them.

Carrying banners and placards, as well as red flags, inscribed with slogans against government, privatisation policy and private CEOs of power distribution companies, the protesters marched up to the local press club raising slogans against privatisation process.

In Jacobabad and Kandhkot-Kashmore districts, protesters wearing black armbands and raising slogans marched through various streets and held demonstrations to condemn government’s privatisation and anti-worker policies.

Similar rallies were taken out in smaller towns of all upper Sindh districts.

LARKANA: Power utilities’ workers in Larkana locked their offices on Thursday and assembled at Jinnahbag Chowk to hold a public meeting.

Addressing the participants, CBA regional chairman Nisar Ahmed Shaikh said that PML-N had a track record of selling away national institutions but workers had always opposed its privatisation policy.

He said its move to bring in CEOs of power utilities from private sector was aimed at banishing labour unions and suppress workers.

He said the PML-N government’s unpopular policies had already resulted in fuel, power and gas crises.

The protesters vowed to resist all such moves tooth and nail.

Power utilities workers in Shahdadkot, Nasirabad, Mirokhan, Qambar, Dokri, Ratodero and Naudero also boycotted their duties and took out rallies.

KHAIRPUR: Workers associated with six divisions of Sepco across Khairpur took part in a day-long protest against privatisation process on the call of the Wapda Hydro Electric Union on Thursday.

They shut down their offices and marched up to the local press club where a demonstration was held.

Speaking to them, their leaders including Syed Attaullah Shah said said that the privatisation process was aimed at downsizing which would ultimately push up unemployment in the country. They said private CEOs were being brought in to carry out a ruthless retrenchment.

The protesters condemned removal of the Sepco managing director and disposal of national institutions.

MIRPURKHAS: Local sub-division of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) witnessed angry demonstrations after workers stopped their work on Thursday and raised slogans against government and its privatisation policy.

Later, they took out a rally which ended outside the local press club, where CBA divisional chairman Akbar Khan Leghari and other leaders addressed the participants. “Anti-labour policies have always caused damage to the national economy,” Mr Leghari said, and warned the government against following the IMF and World Bank dictates.

DADU: Offices of power utilities across Dadu district remained closed on Thursday as workers stayed away and held rallies and

demonstrations in different towns to condemn the PML-N government for its privatisation policy.

A big rally held at SSP Chowk in Dadu city was led by labour leader Nazeer Ahmed Panhwar and others. They vowed to resist all attempts to privatise power utilities and hand them over to the private managements.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015

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