KESC workers are angry. We see that. However, taking a city hostage through a week-long protest is not the most prudent way to ‘resolve’ their issue. But who can blame Karachi’s population for carrying out yet another violent and ugly protest – whether its target killings or blasphemy on Facebook – some how the masses have come to believe that the best way to show their disgust is by coming out into the streets, destroying public property, setting fire to vehicles or other automobile parts and eventually ‘marching’ to their chosen destination – the Governor House in this case.

The Karachi Electric Supply Company should have known better before it decided to sack 4,000 employees in one go: there would be no peaceful or pragmatic response to this decision. Day after day, thousands of protestors have been flocking to various areas of Karachi, claiming that this issue has become a matter ‘of life and death’ and reinstatement is the only way they’ll back down. Does the management care? Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ibad likes to think so.

Dr. Ibad has also directed the KESC management to improve power generation and reduce load-shedding in the city. Is it that easy? One directive and the impossible will be made possible?

KESC worker’ representatives claim that the management’s policies are affecting the economy and commercial activities – do they not realise that their actions, given the dignified label of ‘sit-ins’, are doing exactly the same thing? Load-shedding lasting hours at a stretch has caused havoc in the city and the traveling troupe of demonstrators is making it worse.

Representatives belonging to the company apologise when called, claiming that the union members are not allowing them to conduct their duties and instead are vandalizing KESC vehicles and threatening workers who are actually attempting to carry out repair work. Obviously no one has faith in our justice system so tackling the issue legally was probably never an option anyway. Thus, these union members decided to do what works best in Karachi – threaten violence and if pushed, act on it.

The security threat to KESC workers has caused them to suspend field work which basically means there is no reprise to the situation at the moment. Although Rangers have been deployed at certain installations of KESC, chances are that those of you reading this in Karachi will still continue to face load-shedding when you go home today. You do have an option of staging a protest (everyone else seems to be doing it) or you can follow KESC’s telephone-recording advice and just do some good old ‘taawun’ and yet have another reason to feel dismayed at the deteriorating city you call home.

Shyema Sajjad is the Deputy Editor at Dawn.com