LAHORE: The All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union has warned that a nationwide day of protest will be observed on July 22 against the proposed privatisation of power companies if the government fails to hold a dialogue with workers.

A national executive committee meeting of the union, presided over by Central President Abdul Latif Nizamani, resolved to pursue negotiations with the federal government to resolve all outstanding issues.

Executive committee members from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab attended the meeting.

Union leaders proposed that economists should design a plan to freeze the prices of food items across the country for the next few years to check inflation. It was also suggested that short and long-term schemes should be introduced to control inflation.

Power workers appealed to the prime minister to halt the proposed privatisation of power companies.

They said expensive electricity has forced mills and factories to shut down, leading to rising unemployment among the youth.

Union secretary general Khurshid Ahmed demanded the government to lift the ban on the fresh recruitment enforced 10 years ago.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2026