HYDERABAD: The All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA) on Wednesday organised protest rallies and demonstrations at all offices, workshops and other installations of power utilities across Sindh as part of its nationwide protest against government`s moves to privatise the companies.

Power utilities` employees, including the ofñcers cadre, observed a strike and joined in the protests.

In Hyderabad, CBA president Abdul Latif Nizamani led a procession taken out from Labour Hall in Gari Khata and spoke to the participants when they converged on the local press club to hold a public meeting.

Mr Nizamani severely criticised the government for imposing imperialist policies on worl(ers in the name of democracy and privatisation.

He contradicted the government`s claim that lossmaking institutions were being privatised, arguing that private finance advisers and other senior executives were being hired for major power utilities in Islamabad and Lahore, as well as other cities, on hefty perks because they are highly profItable organisations.

He said Wapda workers would never allow privatisation of their departments as this would only add to the miseries of poor workers and result in retrenchment.

He demanded that Wapda be converted to Pepco(Pakistan Electric Power Company) and government take measures to improve power utilities` profitability and performance. He also called for granting due rights of power utility workers.

CBA Sindh general secretary Iqbal Ahmed Qaimkhani and other labour leaders also spoke.Speaking to the protesters, their local leaders alleged that whenever the PML-N came to power, it pursued an antiworkers policy. They vowedto resist tooth and nail if the government tried to impose it on them.

SUKKUR: Power utilities` employees in Sukkur and Jacobabaddistrictsobserved a pen-down and tool-down strike and took out rallies in almost all cities and towns in response to the Wapda CBA`s call.

They took part in protest meetings at their workplacesbefore takingoutprocessions to condemn the government`s privatisation policy.MIRPURKHAS: Several hundred workers took part in a protest rally held at the Hyderabad Electric Power Company (Hesco) executive engineer`s office in Mirpurkhas.

KHAIRPUR: Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) workers, along with Wapda CBA leaders and members boycotted work at all offices, installations and workshops to join in street protests.

They warned the government against privatisingtheir organisations on the pretext of Knancial losses and line losses.

Rallies were taken out in Khairpur city, Ranipur, Setharja, Thari Mir wah, Kot Diji and many other towns.

The participants marched up to the local press club raising slogans against the government, Hesco administration and privatisation policy.

They resolved to continue their struggle against antiworkers decisions till the privatisation plan was shelved.BADIN: Hesco workers in Badin, Talhar, Matli, Tando Bago and other towns of the district left their workplaces on Wednesday morning to take part in a rally organised by their local leaders.

Participants in a sit-in held at Allahwala Chowk in Badin kept the thoroughfares around the venue closed for about two hours.

They demanded that the government do away with its privatisation policy and, instead, pursue the one beneficial to workers.