Electricity

On 4 March 2012, leaders of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Labour Union threatened to suspend supply of electricity in Sindh in the first phase of their protest if the government does not shelve privatisation plan of Wapda, end load-shedding and bring down the power tariff.

Public Services International sent a letter to Pakistani trade unions on 20 December 2011 strongly supporting the national mobilisation against privatisation of the electricity sector. Experience shows that electricity privatisation is a disaster for almost all involved, except perhaps a very few who manage to squeeze profits from rising tariffs, reduced wages, increased outsourcing and precarious labour, and other unethical practices.

The National Union of Electricity Employees deplored the Nigerian government’s deployment of troops on 14 November to guard public power company installations nationwide. They described the action as irrational, considering that talks are still ongoing over the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria.

PSI utilities officer David Boys tells us about the nature and mechanisms of worldwide privatization of key public services such as water, energy, waste treatment and pension funds in an interview at the 2011 World Social Forum in Dakar.