KESC reinstates 4,000 sacked employees

Daily Times


* All workers directed to report to duties today

* President congratulates reinstated workers
KARACHI: The management of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), after hours-long nerve wrecking meeting with a team of federal government, decided to withdraw its decision of sacking more than 4,000 employees.

All workers are directed to report back to their duties from Monday (today).

“As per the decision of the committee, the KESC management has withdrawn its order of dismissal of employees with immediate effect,” said Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, accompanied by Dr Farooq Sattar, at a press briefing on Sunday.

He said a three-member committee, comprising himself, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani and Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Shah, was formed by the government to hold talks with the KESC management to resolve the matter.

He said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government would protect every worker and provide job security. He said the decision to withdraw the order was taken after holding negotiations with the management of KESC.

He congratulated the reinstated employees on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and others.

On the occasion, Dr Farooq Sattar termed the reinstatement of the sacked workers a big achievement.

Sources told Daily Times that the KESC management had placed two major issues before the team of federal government, which included recovery of dues from various government organisations, and guarantee of uninterrupted supply of gas as electricity generation by using furnace oil was not possible in the current scenario.

Sources said the KESC management was not agreeing on reversal of its earlier decision of sacking the employees. But, the federal government team contacted its owners in Pakistan and abroad and persuaded them to withdraw the decision.

The KESC management had on Wednesday laid off over 4,000 workers under a cost-cutting drive to make the utility financially viable. The late night decision forced its employees to protest and organise a four days and five nights sit-in outside the KESC head office in Gizri.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari welcomed the reinstatement of KESC employees.

He congratulated the Sindh government, the federal and provincial committees, which were constituted to resolve the issue, and all others who contributed in the reinstatement of employees and reiterated PPP’s commitment to protect workers’ rights.

KESC agrees to restore sacked employees

SAMAA


KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has agreed on conditional restoration of sacked employees during a meeting at Governor House here on Friday.

The KESC administration agreed to restore more than 4000 sacked employees if the dues from government institutions are paid.

The administration said this in a meeting with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, MQM leader Farooq Sattar and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah’s four member committee.

The meeting decided to restore sacked employees gradually and the decision will be announced in a press conference by KESC’s CEO Tabish Gauhar and a four member committee of the CM Sindh.

The MQM leaders termed sacking of 4000 employees as economic killing of people.

MQM workers join hands with sacked KESC workers

The Nation

Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) closed down its administrative offices as protest against the sacking of thousands of workers continued here on Friday.

KESC authorities said that they had to shut their offices to ensure security of their workers.

An MQM rally comprising hundreds of people joined the protesting workers of the KESC in their sit-in in front of the company’s head office at Gizri, reported a private TV channel.

Addressing the suspended workers, Labor Union leaders announced that the sit-in would continue till their restoration.

Meanwhile, several workers fell ill due to severe cold conditions they had to face during the sit-in last night.

Sacked employees attack KESC office

Tribune
Former employees of KESC take to the streets of Karachi in protest. 

KARACHI: Dismissed employees of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) staged a protest in Karachi on Thursday against their lay-offs.

They attacked the KESC office near Defence Phase 4, demanding their immediate reinstatement. Angry employees damaged the office property and other KESC personnel.

Speaking to Express 24/7 after the attack on the KESC office, KESC spokesperson Ayesha Eirabie said that following today’s incident, there was no room for negotiation. “Now, we would not even try and listen to what the union has to say.”

She said the situation had been created by the union, accusing them of trying to destroy the company’s property, of assaulting its employees and of trying to disrupt its operations.

KESC laid off over 4,000 workers on Wednesday, under a cost-cutting drive to make the utility financially viable.

A company press release put it as the “elimination of a number of its [KESC’s] non-core and redundant functions”.

KESC Spokesperson, Ayesha Eirabie told a private TV channel that these employees were offered a golden handshake.

Eirabie claims they were offered to take their retirement voluntarily however, they declined it.

The fired employees include sanitary workers, security guards, bill distributors, attendants and drivers. The company announced that non-core office jobs have been outsourced. At the same time, other positions such as petrol pump attendant, office time keeper, junior office attendant, daftari and typist have been abolished.