Caretaker govt bans power sector union activities

Ahead of the proposed induction of the private sector for divestment and management contracts, the caretaker government has prohibited all forms of union activities in the power sector. This decision encompasses all public sector power companies, including those in the business of generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity, bringing them under the scope of the “Pakistan Essential Service (Maintenance) Act (Pesma) 1952”. A formal decision was taken by the federal cabinet through circulation on a summary moved by the interior ministry at the request of the power division, a senior government official confirmed. He said the cabinet approved “the application of the Pakistan Essential Service (Maintenance) Act 1952 to all classes of employment” under Pakistan Power Sector Entities, including distribution companies (Discos), generation companies (Gencos) and National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) of the Ministry of Energy, Power Division (MEPD).