HYDERABAD, Aug 10: The Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (CBA) has thanked the Wapda administration on upgrading pay scales of clerics/auditors and demanded revision of pay scales of other employees of the organisation.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club on Friday, the provincial secretary of the union, Mohammad Iqbal Kaimkhani, said that the federal government had issued a notification revising pay scales of some categories of employees but despite the union's demand, the notification was not made applicable to the clerical staff.

Mr Kaimkhani said that the union was forced to give 48-hour ultimatum to Wapda on August 6 as a result the clerical staff’s pay scale was also revised.

He expressed the hope that the federal government would also revise the pay scales of Wapda employees of other categories.

He pointed out that Wapda employees working in powerhouses, stores and metre reading, accounts, revenue, maintenance and computers sections equally deserved upgradation. He said that it was the duty of Wapda to revise the pay-scales of these employees to avoid discrimination and resentment.

Mr Kaimkhani said that the labour union was a non-political organisation and had never used its workers for any political objective. He said that people from all schools of thought and irrespective of their affiliation with different political parties were the members of the union.

On the other hand, he said, their opponent union had taken birth from a religious party and was now serving the cause of a political party. He accused the opponent union of disturbing industrial peace when the referendum to elect Wapda CBA was round the corner.

He urged Wapda employees to protect its installations and ensure the success of their union.

Mr Kaimkhani accused People’s Party Parliamentarians MPA Mir Babu Talpur of Tando Ghulam Ali of harassing and intimidating the Hesco employees and said that his henchmen had kidnapped two workers on August 8.

He said that Tando Ghulam Ali had been made a no-go-area for Hesco employees as they were not allowed to recover dues or take meter readings. He said Rs55 million was outstanding against the consumers of three feeders of Tando Ghulam Ali and Rs3.3 million against the MPA.

He appealed to PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and its provincial leadership to help recover the outstanding amount from the defaulters.

The union leader warned that if the kidnapped employees were not released, series of protest demonstrations would be held throughout Sindh.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi has directed Hesco officials to launch a massive operation against power thieves and defaulters.

Speaking at a meeting with the company officials here on Friday, he said that they should not have any qualms in taking action against power thieves and defaulters because special magistrates had been appointed to help them out in the exercise. He said that the special magistrates would take action on the spot and punish power thieves and defaulters.

He said that extensive repair and maintenance work should be carried out on feeders, electric wires and poles and wherever new transformers were needed, they should be installed without delay to provide better service to the consumers.

Briefing the minister, Hesco Chief Executive K. B. Qureshi said that special teams had been appointed to recover dues from defaulters and take legal action against power thieves. He said that repair schedules had been given to the Hesco circles and installation of powerful transformers at overloaded grid stations was under way.