KARACHI: More than 4,000 sacked employees of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) on Thursday started a violent agitation against the management.

Angry protesters damaged cars parked near the KESC head office at Gizri and ransacked the office itself.

Demonstrators chanted slogans against the management and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the decision.

The KESC on Wednesday laid off about 4,000 employees who did not opt for its voluntary separation scheme.

According to a KESC press release issued on Wednesday, people working in “non-core jobs” were offered the scheme that closed on January 15.

Around 4,000 employees who did not opt for the scheme were retrenched. They will be paid all their statutory dues along with one month’s salary.

The move came after the KESC’s board of directors decided to focus on “core” technical functions of the company and outsource necessary “non-core functions” to third-party service providers specialising in these tasks.

Meanwhile, People’s Workers Union general secretary Latif Mughal on Thursday termed the KESC decision an “unlawful, anti-worker move and a conspiracy to undermine peace in the city”.

He said the management of the privatised KESC had tried to forcibly get the voluntary separation scheme accepted from about 4,700 employees, but 4,000 workers refused to accept the offer.

Mr Mughal said the action would be challenged in the court and urged the PPP leadership to take note of “anti-worker attitude of the KESC management”.