HYDERABAD/LARKANA: Power utility workers on Thursday observed ‘Youm-i-Shuhada’ at their workplaces in different cities and towns of Sindh to remember those colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Speaking to them, their leaders also expressed sympathy with those workers who have suffered disabilities. They urged the government and managements of power distribution companies to take due care of all affected families of deceased and injured workers by extending them financial and other support as per the relevant laws, rules and regulations.

In Hyderabad, workers of Wapda and other power utilities took out a rally from Labour Hall to the local press club. It was organised by the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union.

Addressing the participants, Wapda CBA President Abdul Latif Nizamani said that as many as 66 line staff members lost their lives while performing their duties last year. A large number of other workers suffered different disabilities, he said, adding that such incidents did not stop this year.

The managements of Wapda the power utilities concerned were not ready to take any action against the officials responsible for these fatal incidents, he regretted.

Mr Nizamani pointed out that these deaths and injuries had created a shortage of manpower but instead of making recruitment, the managements burdened other employees with extra workload. Many employees were performing their duties on their day off, he noted.

“In some instances, one employee is handling jobs of 10 workers,” he revealed.

The CBA leader claimed that it was due to pressure of workload and irresponsible attitude of their officers, that employees were facing depression and mental stress and ultimately facing risk of death and injuries.

Mr Nizamani deplored that many employees were not being paid bonus after it was approved.

He wondered that in the new budget, a 25pc raise in salaries and 15pc in pension was given but 49pc raise was effected in taxes. Price-hike also remained beyond control and now increased electricity and gas tariffs coupled with overbilling was badly affecting workers and their families.

CBA’s Sindh Secretary Iqbal Ahmed Khan, Azam Khan, Sarwat Jehan, Abdul Abbasi and others also spoke.

In Larkana, a rally was taken out from the superintendent engineer’s office.

CBA’s Larkana region Chairman Nisar Shaikh led the rally which marched through various roads before reaching the Abdul Latif Nizamani Labour Hall. Later, the participants held a demonstration outside the local press club where their leaders spoke to them.

Mr Shaikh and other union leaders noted with grief that their seven colleagues had lost their lives and 15 others suffered injuries while performing their duties in the region over the last two years.

They criticised power utility companies’ managements for their indifferent attitude towards workers who, they said, were performing their duties in odd hours and many even without safety gears.

Workers were denied off-day allowance, TA, DA bills, Prime Minister Package, medical bills, marriage grants and other due benefits, they deplored, and noted with concern that for the last 10 years, no recruitment was made in these companies which had heavily increased workload on workers.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2024