LAHORE: Thousands of electricity workers observed Wednesday as a protest day under the aegis of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union against the rising accidents of line staff due to severe shortage of staff and a ban on recruitments for years.

Workers, outside the Lahore Press Club, held a rally like other parts of the country where participants were carrying national flags and banners in support of their demands. They demanded the Ministry of Energy get vacant posts filled in order to prevent tragic accidents of the electricity line staff.

“We provide electricity to more than 27 million industrial, commercial, agriculture and domestic power consumers in hilly and rural and urban areas at the risk of our lives round the clock all over the country. But no one is helping and supporting us.

It is very sad since our workers are facing fatal and non-fatal incidents in the field,” said union secreatry general Khurshid Ahmad.

He demanded that the government introduce reforms in the power sector to raise its efficiency with the cooperation of the workers instead of privatisation of electricity companies.

LDA: An LDA team on Wednesday sealed 23 buildings in the city for not paying commercialisation fee, according to a spokesman.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2020