HYDERABAD, Dec 29: Employees of Wapda observed a strike throughout the interior of Sindh on Wednesday in protest against proposed privatization of their organization and reiterated their resolve not to allow the sell-off , which they said, was being planned at the instance of the World Bank.
Leaders of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union visited different offices and spoke to workers who wore black arm-bands. They urged the workers to forge unity in their ranks and said that their unity would force the Wapda management and the government to come to terms with the union.
In Hyderabad, the Hesco workers held protest meetings at different places including the Hesco headquarters. Speaking on the occasion, union leaders Abdul Latif Nizamani, Iqbal Kaimkhani, Azam Khan and others called upon the president and prime minister to hold meaningful negotiations with the union.
They warned that if the protest remained unheeded, they would widen the scope of the movement and responsibility for the consequences would lie with the government.
MIRPURKHAS: Speaking at a protest meeting here, divisional president of the union Akbar Laghari said that the decision of dividing Wapda was unconstitutional. He lamented that power tariff had increased due to wrong decisions of the rulers and warned that afters privatization of Wapda, the tariff would shoot up even further.
KHAIRPUR: A strike was observed in the district by Wapda employees who suspended routine work in Khairpur, Luqman, Priyaloi, Pir-jo-Goth, Ranipur, Setharja and other areas.
Due to sparking in electricity wires in the Serai Ganhwar Khan and Civic Centre areas, power supply to the localities was suspended and workers did not arrive there to rectify the fault because of strike.
DADU: The Hesco employees held a demonstration here to protest against privatization of Wapda.
BADIN: The Hesco employees observed a strike here to protest against privatization of Wapda. Led by the union leaders, Gasso Khan Pathan, Paroomal and others, scores of the Hesco employees took out a procession.
They warned that if their demands were not met, power supply would be suspended in Badin from Friday. Office work was also affected in the Hesco offices of Talhar, Badin, Matli, Tando Bago, Shaheed Fazil Rahu and other towns of district.
SHIKARPUR: Members of the union took out a procession against privatization of Wapda here. Similar processions were also taken out in Sukkur and Larkana.