MIRPURKHAS, Oct 11: Employees of Wapda locked all Hesco offices in Mirpurkhas division here on Thursday in protest against the alleged illegal acts of the Pepco administration.

A procession was also taken out, under the banner of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union of Mirpurkhas division, from the Hesco division office to the local press club.

Carrying banners and placards, the protesters reached the press club.

Divisional chairman Akbar Khan Leghari, Mali Abdul Kareem and Yousuf Soomro led them.Speaking on the occasion, Akbar Khan Leghari and Malik Abdul Kareem said the government had formed Pepco after dissolving Wapda, but the financial condition of the new organisation deteriorated on account of corruption.

They lamented that Pepco could not benefit people because load-shedding had increased due to corruption.

They alleged that the government had failed to address grievances of the masses. Crises of load-shedding increased because of its wrong policies, but the government decided to dissolve Pepco.

They threatened to launch a massive campaign against this decision of the government.

If the government did not withdraw its decision, workers would suspend power supply throughout the country.

Employees of Hesco of Jhuddo sub-division also locked the offices and took out a procession.

KHAIRPUR: Employees of Sepco in the sub-divisions of Khairpur and Pir Jo Goth took out processions on Thursday in protest against the expected privatisation of Wapda.

Addressing the protesters in Pir Jo Goth and Khairpur, Sepco union president Feroz Abro and former president Wali Mohammad Leghari said the motive behind the privatisation of Wapda was to make the employees unemployed; KESC was one such example.

They said that when Wapda had been centralised, it was given funding both from national and international resources and it used to be a powerful institution.

If Wapda was made powerful again, there was no need of privatisation, they said.

Sepco employees in Setharja, Piryaloi, Kot Diji, Ranipur, Gambat and other sub-divisions and towns also held protests.

HYDERABAD: Employees of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) took out a procession here on Thursday against the proposed privatisation of the organisation and government’s deviation from the agreement signed with CBA union.

The procession after marching on different roads culminated at the press club. Led by Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union president Abdul Latif Nizamani, Iqbal Kaimkhani and Azam Khan, employees raised full-throated slogans against the proposed privatisation of Wapda.

Addressing the protesters, Nizamani criticised officials of power distribution companies for indulging in financial malpractices and damaging companies’ financial health.

He said the government was deviating from the agreement it had signed with the union over privatisation. The agreement signed with the CBA union on May 14 pledged not to privatise Wapda, he said.

“On the contrary the government has made its efforts fast to privatise Wapda,” he said.

SUKKUR: Line staff and other officials of the Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) observed a tool-down and pen-down strike in Sukkur and other towns on Thursday.

They gathered at Muhammad Bin Qasim Park where leaders of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, including zonal chairman Syed Zahid Hussain Shah, divisional chairmen of Sukkur and Rohri Anwer Ali Mangi and Noor Muhammad Lashari, Gulzar Ahmed Shaikh and others addressed the protesters.

They said they would not allow privatization of Wapda and its power distribution companies at any cost.

Later, a procession was taken out from the park to the press club where the protesters held a sit-in and raised slogans against planned privatisation.

Similar protests were held in Ghotki, Pano Akil, Rohri, Salehpat, Shikarpur and others towns.

NAWABSHAH: Members of the Nawabshah chapter of Wapda Hydro electric central labour union boycotted duties and took out a procession.

They locked their offices and took out a procession from the old power house of Manuabad to the local press club.