AsiaNet-Pakistan Premier Editorial Content and Press Release Distribution Service
Karachi: Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan played a key role in resolving dispute between management and KESC Union making the power distribution system paralyzed for over two months.
Karachi Electric Supply Company has appreciated the Governor Sindh and the City administration for their positive input into resumption of repair and maintenance work that would provide great relief to the outage-stricken general public of Karachi.
KESC said that the Governor played key role to resolve the issues through his untiring and dedicated efforts which needed to be cherished. To ensure immediate relief to the consumers of Karachi, all business and maintenance operations of KESC started to return to normalcy from Tuesday morning after prolonged talks between Karachi administration and the management. The top and foremost priority before KESC has been to resume providing best possible services to around 20 million power users in the City, who had been suffering unduly for long weeks because of the prolonged fault-based outages caused by delay in repair work.
The management in an internal circular to all employees has urged everyone at KESC to now join hands and work tirelessly to provide stable power supply and prompt service without further delay in the best interest of the City dwellers in order to provide them immediate relief. KESC hoped that the City Administration would provide all support and protection that it has guaranteed for the sake of peaceful and smooth resumption of functioning.
Under the agreement, the Voluntary Separation Scheme for non-core employees would continue in their best interest offering attractive benefits and bright future, and all non-core workers can apply under this scheme without any coercion from any side. Until such time that the Dispute Resolution Committee reaches a conclusion, all non-core workers who have been offered VSS would be exempted from attendance or performance of duty. Potential and possible adjustment of non-core workers in core functions will be extremely limited in number following a strict merit regime as determined by the management.
None of the dismissed or terminated employees have been being taken back. Likewise, no charge sheets are being withdrawn and the process would continue and be expedited. On the other hand, some core employees who had been absent from work during the period of unrest without permission or grant of leave will not receive salary or any relief whatsoever. The agreement between the management and employees, as well as the guarantee provided by the City administration, all KESC offices and service centres will be opened to serve the citizens of Karachi without any hindrance. All protests and Dharna’s will immediately come to an end. No one from the surplus pool will be retrenched at the moment. None of the workers in question will resume their previous positions or duties till further decisions and conclusions are drawn by the dispute resolution committee.
A dispute resolution committee comprising of KESC, Civil Administration and the Labour Union will be formed to discuss and work out resolution on all pending and outstanding issues. The committee will also evaluate each case independently and see if any worker has skill sets that can be used in any Core Function. As of now, their previous positions do not exist and are redundant.
Payout under Voluntary Separation Scheme to all those who have already opted for it, will be handed over on a priority basis. No Labour Union worker will resort to any sort of violence whatsoever.
And if anyone is found in disrupting peace or the operating environment, that will be reported to the civil administration which had assured to take action against the culprits.
For more information, contact:
Sindh Governor House
Syed Wajahat Ali
Press Secretary to Governor
Tel: 99201217, 99201201-3
Email: press_secretary@governorsindh.gov.pk