950826

Kot Addu power station privatization

Wapda workers approve

draft agreement

HASEEB HAIDER

LAHORE: Snow melted on Saturday when agitating Wapda Workers Union approved an agreement under which workers would get job protection, alongwith 10 percent shares in the privatization of 1450 megawatt Kot Addu thermal power station worth about 5.6 billion US dollars.

Some of the salient features of the agreement, which is likely to be signed within a couple of days, are: Job security for all workers against retrenchment, protection of existing terms and conditions of service of Kot Addu workers including pay scales and allowances, pension and other fringe benefits, grant of 10 percent shares to Wapda workers, rise in basic wages at the rate of 35 percent of the basic pay and also all other allowances being paid at the moment at same rates,

Grant of power house allowances at the rate of 50 to 60 percent of the pay of staff, both technical and non-technical, which is restricted at the moment only to technical staff.

Increase in Kot Addu Allowance from 25 percent to 37 percent to 50 percent to 75 percent at the rate of their basic enhanced pay, in case in shift, medical, washing, uniform, education and special allowance and other allowances being paid to the staff at the rate of 35 percent of their enhance basic pay

Free rail fare with families all over the country once in every months,

Grant of medical, free electricity, employment of one child and other facilities during and after employment,

Free transport facilities to workers and the school and college going children.

The facility of Golden Hand Shake to the workers at the rate of four months basic pay for each completed year in addition to their permissible pension at the rate of 70 percent of their pay under Wapda rules.

National General Council of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (CBA) in its meeting held at Bakhtiar Labour Hall, Lahore presided over by Mohammad Munir, President of the union and the representatives of 1,35,000 organized workers from all over the country has approved the proposed Draft Agreement negotiated between the Government of Pakistan and the representatives after the long deliberations ranging many months while Kot Addu power station employees had stopped the entry of foreign bidders for more than last six months.

The meeting was addressed by several speakers including Inam Majid, Chairman and Naeem Sadiq, Secretary of the union who thanked the members and main office-bearers of the union throughout the country for extending fullest support to their cause and stated the proposed agreement has been approved by the general body of the members unanimously since it offers all necessary ingredients of job security and raise in emolument.

Abdul Latif Nizamani, Chairman, Sindh province and Master Khudadad Khan, Vice-Cairman, NWFP province, Abdul Khaliq Baloch, Chief Organizer, Balochistan, Saeed Tariq, Muzaffargarh, Khalid Chandio, Jam Shoro also spoke on the occasion. Nizamani stated that the union has accepted the proposed agreement as lesser evil than going on strike which could have disrupted the whole society as it provides all protection and benefits to the workers. The salient features of the said agreement were explained by Khurshid Ahmed, General Secretary of union.

The government shall provide written guarantee for fulfilment of the said agreement while Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union (CBA) has been empowered to take up the case for its implementation in letter and spirit with the Government of Pakistan on behalf of Kot Addu employees, said Khurshid Ahmed.

He said that one option for General Council is to boycott negotiation process and resort to general strike which would affect 120 million people of Pakistan with whom they have no enemity since strike would jam and all sections of society would suffer. Wapda workers as union has no quarrel with the people and society of Pakistan. The other alternative available is the settlement agreed to by Kot Addu employees which is a good example of negotiated settlement.

The house after heated debate approved the said agreement and allowed its office-bearers to sign in order to provide benefits and guarantee of jobs and other fringe benefits on sale of 26 percent share to the foreign bidders.

SAQLAIN IMAM ADDS:

With the privatization of the Kot Addu Gas Turbine Thermal Power Station, Wapda would lose one of the its finest engineering projects which is the emblem of its engineers state of the art.

Moreover, before the privatization, Wapda has been incurring about Rs 0.80 per unit for the electricity generation from Kot Addu station, but after the privatization, the cost would be over 6.5 US cents per unit which comes to over Rs 2.00 per unit.

Thus, privatization would give some card ash to Wapda that too in instalment, but its expenses for purchasing electricity at higher rates would add another financial burden on the authority that once again would be 'compelled' to increase the electricity tariff.