Pakistan - Struggle of 1,30,000 WAPDA Electricity Workers Against Proposed Privatization

130,000 WAPDA Electricity workers have been making concerted struggle against proposed privatization of national public utility of electricity Generation and Distribution which is being carried out by the Government on the behest of IMF and World Bank. Their representative trade union namely Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (CBA) held mass demonstrations in all over the country on 1.11.2011, 8.12.2011, 14.12.2011 and recently before the National Parliament on 21^st December, 2011 urging that the proposed privatization would be against the public interest since it would not be able to provide cheaper and sufficient electricity which could only be assured by establishing Coal-Fired Thermal Power Stations and Hydel Power Stations in the public sector. They also urged for restoring the administrative control of Distribution and Generation Companies to PEPCO in the interest of maintaining efficiency as well as demanded for recovery of electricity dues from Karachi Electric Supply Company and other Government agencies amounting to more than Rupees one trillion. Resultantly, the Minister for Water and Power, Government of Pakistan has invited the representatives of the Union for a meeting on 30^th December, 2011  at  Islamabad.

Advice from  Osama  Tariq  - Additional  General  Secretary  Pakistan  Wapda  Hydro  Electric  Central  Labour  Union  C.B.A  Lahore Pakistan pwf@brain.net.pk