HYDERABAD: The All-Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA) and its different chapters observed Youm-e-mutalibaat (demands day) on Tuesday to reiterate its demands, urging the government not to privatise profit-making power distribution companies “under IMF dictate”.

In Hyderabad, the CBA president Abdul Latif Nizamani said while speaking to a rally at a local press club that in the first phase, the power distribution companies, which were earning 100pc profit were being sold off, and in the next phase more companies would be outsourced.

He said the CBA would launch agitation against this plan with workers’ power and defeat it. The CBA had foiled this conspiracy and forced the government to shelve privatisation in past but now national enterprises, especially power distribution companies were being privatised at the behest of World Bank and IMF and an advertisement to that effect had also been placed in media by the government, he said.

He pointed out that the government and bureaucracy had collectively destroyed power sector through a culture of commission and kickbacks. The government was bent upon privatising these entities because it had taken money from the international money lenders, he said.

He said the government was going to privatise 12 power distribution companies in all and in the first phase, it would hold bidding for three companies of Islamabad, Gujranwala and Faisalabad on Sept 16 to be followed by others.

He said that recruitment had been stopped in order to ensure privatisation. The union would resort to tool down strike and march if it was needed, he said.

He said that the government was purchasing expensive electricity from independent power producers (IPPs) by closing down public sector powerhouses. The burden of this costly energy was being borne by general public, he said.

He said that around 90 IPPs were selling electricity for Rs70 per unit and owners of the IPPs belonged to ruling parties, powerful quarters, Arab and Chinese investors.

He asked the government to revoke all agreements with IPPs and reopen all the closed powerhouses of Wapda, which was still producing electricity for Rs5.5 per unit.

In Larkana, Wapda workers took to the streets after putting locks on offices to press the government to stop its policy of privatisation of power companies and threatened to widen the protest if their demands remained unheard.

The protesters converged at the main gate of Jinnahbagh and staged a sit-in after marching on main thoroughfares of the city.

The union leaders criticised the federal government for privatising the power utilities and criticised government’s mala fide intention to privatise the Utility Stores Corporation, which would definitely render over 11,000 employees.

They urged the government to end contracts with IPPs instead of paying Rs250 billion to them, as it would be tantamount to squandering away national exchequer.

In Nawabshah, the Wapda union took out a rally and held a demonstration in protest against the proposed privatisation of Wapda utilities and rising inflation.

The protesters criticised the government for the proposed privatisation of distribution companies and said that they would not allow anti-labour decisions.

In Tando Adam, the protesters held a walk from Hesco office to local press club. They demanded increment in salaries and filling of more than 80,000 vacancies in different Wapda companies.

In Mirpurkhas, Digri, Jhuddo, Samaro, Kunri etc. Wapda union staged similar protests. The protesters’ leaders condemned the government and said that workers would not allow anyone to privatise the Wapda companies.

They said that they could stop power supply to the entire country and warned that the government should withdraw its decision in favor of poor employees.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2024