HYDERABAD: The Pak­is­tan Wapda Employees Pegham Union Sindh has threatened to shut the entire power system if the government privatises any power companies including the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco), Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) and others.

Addressing participants of a protest rally taken out from SP Chowk to the local press club and organised by the union, Pegham union chairman Mohammad Sajjan Panhwer said the government planned to privatise all 14 companies in the country, including those in Sindh — Hesco, Sepco, Jamshoro Power General Company Ltd-1 (Genco-1), central power generation company (Genco-2) Guddu and Lakhra Power generation company Ltd-4 (Genco-4).

He also announced a complete boycott of the work and tool-down strike on Feb 26 across the province on the call of the central president of the union, Sirajuddin Saqib, throughout the country in protest against the proposed privatisation of the companies and induction of private chief executive officers (CEOs) in the companies.

He also criticised office-bearers of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Worker Union.

National Labour Federa­tion secretary general Rana Mehmood said the federation did not allow government to privatise power companies and it would support workers and fight for their rights.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

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