Employees of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, demanding the resolution of longstanding issues related to salaries, medical facilities, and employee welfare.
The demonstration was organized by the elected KWSC Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) and the Muttahida Workers Federation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan.
Protesters carried banners and placards highlighting their grievances and calling for immediate action from the authorities.
Among the key demands were the restoration of the previous medical facility system, approval of the Charter of Demand submitted by the workers’ representatives, an increase in salaries, and the prompt payment of dues to retired employees, resigned workers, and the families of deceased staff members.
Addressing the gathering, CBA Chairman Irshad Khan alleged irregularities in the outsourcing of KWSC’s medical services to a private insurance company.
He claimed that despite an allocated medical budget of Rs340 million, payments amounting to Rs740 million had been made to the insurance provider and asserted that workers possessed documentary evidence to support their claims.
Khan warned that employees would strongly resist any move to curtail or abolish medical facilities, arguing that recent changes had created significant difficulties for workers and their families in accessing healthcare services.
He said KWSC employees play a critical role in maintaining Karachi’s water supply and sewerage system, but have long been deprived of their legitimate rights and benefits.
Rising inflation, he added, has increased financial pressures on workers, making salary enhancements and improved benefits essential.
Several MQM-P lawmakers, including members of the Sindh Assembly, participated in the protest and expressed support for the employees’ demands. Party leaders assured workers that their concerns would be raised in the Sindh Assembly and with relevant authorities.
The leaders emphasized that protecting workers’ rights and addressing their welfare issues is a responsibility of both the government and public institutions, stressing that continued neglect of these concerns is unacceptable.
The protest comes at a time when KWSC is already facing public criticism over a prolonged water supply crisis affecting several areas of Karachi for nearly three months.
