KESC Labour union defies ethnic divide – by Ali Arqam
The devil’s advocate in Pakistan mainstream media TV channels and newspaper reporters are misinforming people on the strife between KESC workers and incompetent but very powerful administration.
Notwithstanding their pledges and agreements with the Govt. after taking charge of KESC the Abraaj group is busy with the shameful tactics of appeasing political parties by offering high profile posts and attractive salaries via their representatives to their relatives, brothers, sons and affiliates. Journalists were conciliated by making a trip to Dubai on corporation’s expenses, and newspapers were granted advertisement packages.
Kudos! to Dailytimes and CNBC News for covering labour Unions sit in near Governor house and highlighting their issues.
While it is very encouraging that KESC labor unions have defied the ethnic divide predominating the megapolis political scene and have kept laborer from all ethnic group intact, as the elected CBA and various Union bodies are representing thousands of laborers from all the ethnic groups, Balochs, Punjabis, Kashmiris, Urdu speakers, Pashtuns and Hazareywaals.
It also debunks the vicious face of various interest groups and thugs who resorts to violence and killings in the name of ethnic conflicts and selling this via their accomplices in the mainstream media.
While the management is on delaying tactics, sham negotiations,unbending anti-laborer stance, pressuring and maneuvering the civilian authorities to suppress the protesting workers, greased media and TV reporters palms, people’s representatives from the city are apathetic to the workers predicaments.
Though PPP Karachi leadership has participated in their sit in but they need to stand by their side to end this deadlock and address workers grievances. A party with strong footings in the working class should not abandon their rightful demands and do not let them on the mercy of those whose track record is not considerable when it comes to the rights of working class.
The perverted “civil society” narrative in Pakistan comprising some NGO’s, charities and advocacy groups is unwrapped when they turn a blind eye on the protests of labor Unions, knowing that labor unions are an integral part of the domain of “Civil Society”.
But in Islamic republic like other things, the very concept of “civil society” too is a farce, hence working as an instrument of the State.
Nice, it is imperative to bring such realities to light. Real division in Pakistan is not the division of ethnicity but classes.
Yes bro, we are also united sans ethnicities when it comes to corruption, extremism, violence in the name of religion and many other things.
How exactly is being untied for destruction a cause to celebrate?
United for destruction? It shows your position on the issue, how a question with accusation can be replied, its another overemphasised thing like the ‘katti pahari’ narrative in the whole Karachi violence.
Putting field workers in the surplus pole, getting them out and expelling them coercively with VSS, Registering FIRs against the labourers, and assigning contractors these jobs is not a position any one with progressive leanings can defend on a corporation behalf.
Proleterian solidarity is only solution to ethinic divide, only working class movement can save karachi
Those who are in support of KESC administration must acknowledge that Pakistan Electronic and Print media reporting of the whole KESC issue is excellent, as all of them are busy in promoting the administration viewpoint only, whenever someone from the administration is invited to talk, the same opportunity should be given to the workers representatives, it will never happen….