HYDERABAD, Aug 8: Employees of power distribution companies, on the call of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, took out processions in different parts of Sindh on Wednesday in protest against non-payment of bonus, delay in payment of salaries and attacks on their offices in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Workers of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and Sukkur Electric Supply Company (Sepco) marched from the Labour Hall to the Press Club while raising slogans against the government and officers of the National Transmission Despatch Company (NTDC).

President of the union Abdul Latif Nizamani reminded the authorities of the assurance former federal minister for water and power Syed Naveed Qamar gave to employees which was also endorsed by the incumbent Ahmed Mukhtar, while payments are yet not made.

He questioned the government move of sending income of all power companies to the NTDC office in Lahore which then disburses funds on the demand of a company in regard to employees’ salaries and other emoluments. Employees get their salaries late unlike previous practice
of getting it on the first day of the month.

The government, instead of withdrawing free electricity facility to workers of power companies should stop awarding unlimited privileges to ministers and top officials, if at all it was sincere with people.

He demanded of the government to immediately withdraw this order, ensure disbursement of bonus, allowances and medical bills before Eidul Fitr.

Iqbal Qaimkhani, Mir Khan Baloch, Malik Sultan Ali and other union leaders said the government was doing nothing as far as their demands were concerned and warned that they would widen their protest across the country if the situation remained same.

Why the government was reluctant to generating cheaper electricity and providing relief to consumers, they remarked.

SUKKUR: A large number Sepco employees took out a rally and staged a sit-in at the press club and a demonstration at the Mohammad Bin Qasim Park.

Union’s Zonal Chairman Zahid Hussain Shah said that the properties of power companies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including offices and vehicles were being set on fire and employees tortured by people protesting loadshedding.

Employees were being penalised for government’s efficiency.

Burning of records, especially service books would create host of problems in payment of pension and other due at the time of retirement.

They demanded immediate halt to practice of direct recruitment by human resource department and Sepco administration and called for recruitment of employees’ children as per the agreement between the union and the minister.Later, a rally was taken out which marched up to the National Press Club where employees staged a sit-in resulting in suspension of traffic between Sukkur and Rohri for half an hour.

In Mirpurkhas, Hesco employees observed strike, locked out the company offices and took out a rally.