PESHAWAR: Members of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Workers Union Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (chapter) boycotted their duties here on Wednesday to protest the kidnapping of Pesco employees in Bannu on Sept 12and demanded their early recovery.

They also voiced concern over the suspension of marriage grants and cuts in other allowances and demanded their restoration.

The workers, who gathered at Wapda House here, also shouted slogans for the early filling of all vacancies to address staff shortages, according to a statement issued by the union.

The union members staged a protest sit-in at divisional headquarters across the province against the delay in the grant of service structure and “denial” of pay raise to part-time employees.

Protesters also demand restoration of grants, allowances, early filling of vacancies

Workers of the power utility participated in the sit-in in large numbers.

The speakers included provincial chairman of the union Haji Mohammad Iqbal, general secretary Noorul Amin Haiderzai, vice chairman Yasir Kamran, central chairman Gohar Taj, finance secretary Khan and chief coordinator Tesco Pir Durrani.

They said that Pesco was around 70 per cent of the required staff members, while the law and order situation was fast deteriorating but still, the employees worked day and night and brought about a profit of around Rs20 billion to the power company this year compared to last year’s.

The speakers alleged that the Pesco’s board of directors deliberately violated the rights of workers, who were entitled to “full bonus,” by approving just half bonus.

They added that hundreds of field employees across the country suffered injuries in electrical accidents in the line of duty.

The speakers warned authorities to withdraw the “decision to privatise” Wapda and recruit them in three electricity distribution companies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

They also called for payment of one month’s basic salary to power workers as a bonus.

The speakers demanded restoration of student scholarship, marriage grant and regularisation of employees recruited on a temporary basis.

They also demanded an increase in the salaries of part-time employees and the payment of all due allowances to the meter readers “without delay and without discrimination.”

The speakers urged authorities to ensure protection of Disco workers and safe recovery of the abducted Pesco employees.

They warned that if the demands were not accepted, street protests across the province and a sit-in at Wapda House in Peshawar would continue.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2025