LAHORE: The management of Pakistan Electric Power Company has agreed to remove anomalies in the pay scales of the line, grid and ministerial staff and raise the fringe benefits, says Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA).

Union general secretary Khurshid Ahmed said on Monday that according to the settlement reached between the management and the CBA the marriage grant has been increased from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000 for two children while for retired, disabled and widows of the employee the grant would be Rs200,000 for two children. Officers would also be eligible to get the enhanced grant.

The management also agreed to give special education scholarship to the children of the employees studying in schools, colleges and universities in order to enable them to get meaningful education.

The monthly danger allowance for assistant line man (ALM) has also been increased from Rs400 to Rs3,000; the pay scale of drivers, Class-IV and Dead Cadre

employees has also been increased in addition to their monthly washing allowance/living allowance which would now be Rs1,000 instead of Rs350 per month. The job allowance of drivers has also been increased from Rs60 to Rs500.

Mr Ahmad said according to the settlement, the meter inspectors would now be in BPS-11 instead of BPS-9; meter supervisors in BPS-16 instead of BPS-15; store system supervisor in BPS-16 instead of BPS-14. The job crew allowance for the grid maintenance staff has been raised from Rs800 to Rs1,200 per month. Meter repairer and relay mechanic would now be in BPS-9 instead of BPS-7.

The management has also assured the union of considering other issues concerning the labour class, said the general secretary while urging the workforce to extend all-out cooperation to the management in increasing productivity and providing better services to 25 million electricity consumers of the company.

Urging the government to provide security to the field staff performing duties to maintain national electricity network, detect power theft and recover arrears, Mr Ahmad expressed the hope that service of all workers employed on contract or daily-wage basis would be regularised.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018