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KARACHI: Enraged over non-payment of salaries, the union workers of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) Monday flocked at its main head office in a bid to lodge protest that abruptly turned violent when security guards posted at the gate allegedly opened fired to disperse them, injuring five to six workers.
However, KESC spokesman categorically denied the unions claim saying security men only resorted to aerial firing in retaliation when union miscreants blocked the office entrance with Motorized Tower Laden Vehicles (MTFL) and soon started firing indiscriminately at the gate, causing fear among the employees inside.
KESC union workers converged at the main Head Office of KESC at Gizri around 9am to protest over non-payment of their salaries and blocked the entrances in order to voice their concerns.
A few hundred protestors were chanting slogans against the management for not implementing the agreement signed where provision of all legal rights to sacked and dejected workers was assured.
President KESC Labor Union Usman Baloch said that they had been peacefully protesting outside the utility office mainly over non-payment of salaries of three months, but upon directives from the management security guards opened fired which resultantly injured six workers, he said.
Baloch pitched into the management, saying they would not give up by such violent tactics by the management and threatened to continue their protest until their demands are met.
He said management had stopped their salaries for the last three months and refusing to pay for reasons only known to them. He criticized KESC high ups for violating the agreement signed recently in the presence of Sindh Home Minister, Governor Sindh, District Coordination Karachi and other government officials belongs to the provincial government.
On the other hand, Spokesman KESC has lambasted union workers for resorting to criminal approach in getting their demands accepted. He firmly denied that any of the protesting workers were injured by the firing of its security guards.
He said all the security personnel were stationed inside the entrance gate, questioning how they could open fire on union miscreants outside the office premises.
He blamed that protesting workers were equipped with arms and they resorted to firing when barred from entire the premises of the building. They might have got injured by their own firing as they had been firing indiscriminately which created panic among the working staff, he added.
He said management had paid salaries to all non-core workers as mutually consented in the agreement, however he did not have information regarding workers implicated in charge sheets were paid their pending stipends.
"I will soon confirm it," spokesman said. As a humanitarian gesture, he told, KESC had already given the Ramzan package to ease their financial constraints. They are handful of miscreants who are implying to have representing all 4500 non-core workers which is completely false.
In connection to the violent protest on Monday, spokesman blamed that union workers had also damaged the grid station of Gizri, causing huge electricity breakdown in all its concerned areas. To vent their anger, they have damaged all the transformers, he alleged.
