News
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
KESC unions’ rally hampers traffic in Karachi
Staff Report
KARACHI: After damaging the electricity infrastructure of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), the Collective Bargaining Agents (CBA) of power utility has adopted a new way of irritating Karachiites by holding public gatherings at the main arteries of city which cause worst traffic jams for hours.
All unions of the KESC organised a rally on Monday and created serious traffic jams at the main arteries of city intentionally blocking the roads and giving long speeches. The traffic, including ambulances, remained suspended during the protest at Shahrah-e-Faisal. A commuter said that the government, police and others were supporting KESC unions for their protests in the city. CBA union in collaboration with the KESC Mazdoor Ittehad organised a massive protest rally from the hunger camp of KESC to Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum.
Massive traffic jams was reported in the peak hours of commercial and routine activities at Punjab Chowrangi, Cantt Station, Sharah-e-Faisal, Tariq Road, Saddar, Tower, MA Jinnah Road, Regal, II Chundrigar Road, Pakistan Chowk, Shaheen Complex and Numaish, where participants of the rally blocked the roads with barricades and bikes. The shifting of patients to Civil Hospital Karachi and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre were effected badly as ambulances remained stuck in snarl-ups.
A large number of KESC’s sacked employees holding black flags, wearing black arm bands and carrying sticks chanted slogans against the KESC administration over the proposed sacking of more than 4,500 employees.
Addressing the participants at Quaid’s mausoleum, CBA chairman Ikhlaq Khan said that the KESC administration had made a ‘state within state’ trying to introduce a contract system to sack the regular workers.
Despite the restoration of 4,500 sacked employees, he said the KESC management was reluctant to obey the decisions of committee comprising government ministers. He urged the government to ensure the implementation of its orders. He alleged that the KESC had started harassing the restored workers.
According to KESC spokesman the company has expressed great anguish over the fact that government is not taking any action despite the union miscreants’ illegally occupation of all utility offices and head offices since June 9, forcing the management to function under very disturbing state of affairs for 12 days now.
The KESC understands that the government needs to enforce law in the interest of the general public of Karachi who are suffering due to this unlawful situation at the hands of union miscreants. This is not just a matter relating to internal affairs of the KESC but a public affair. The KESC management, scattered at various locations of the city could not serve its customer in the best possible way in the given circumstances but the executive authorities and law enforcement agencies have failed in their duties as well as acting upon the orders of Sindh High Court which had repeatedly directed the administration, police and rangers to protect KESC employees, assets and installations.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk