Pakistan : Discos, Wapda workers observe ‘protest day'
LAHORE (PR): Electricity/Wapda workers observed “protest day” all over the country on Wednesday. The protests were organized by All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA).
The workers held processions and
rallies in support of their demands at Peshawar, Sawat, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Quetta and other cities. At Lahore, hundreds of workers took out procession from Bakhtiar Labour Hall and held a rally in front of Lahore Press Club Square. This rally was led by veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmed, general secretary of the union. The workers were carrying banners in support of their major demands, which included upgradation of pay scales.
Khurshid Ahmed demanded the federal and provincial governments and management of electricity distribution companies to take immediate measures to prevent tragic electrocution accidents as almost 126 members of the lines staff had died during the year. They demanded the government to ensure provision of safe working conditions to the power workers and extend all possible support and facilities to their families and orphan children. He also demanded the Prime Minister to allocate adequate resources for building new hydel power stations and dams. By a resolution, they demanded the electricity/Wapda management to raise the pay scales of technical, skilled, semi-skilled and professional workers.