IESCO linemen protest transfers after promotion

Attock - Promoted linemen of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) have expressed concern over their simultaneous transfer to distant areas, describing the move as unjust amid rising living costs and warning that it could affect field operations and service delivery. According to employees from different divisions, IESCO recently issued promotion orders for 122 linemen, including 29 from the Pindi Gheb Division, 43 from Attock Division and 50 from Taxila Division. However, the promotion orders were accompanied by the transfer of all 122 employees to areas outside their respective divisions. US could carry out further strikes on Iran if needed: Hegseth The affected employees, who requested anonymity, said the decision had come at a time of severe inflation and would place a significant additional financial burden on them. They said postings in distant areas would substantially increase their daily expenditure on fuel and transport, while many of the employees were the sole breadwinners of their families. 'In this era of inflation, how can we perform our duties efficiently in areas far from our homes?' one of the promoted linemen asked. 'The additional cost of commuting will eat into our salaries and make it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.' CDF, Iran leaders discuss Hormuz reopening The employees also warned that the transfers could affect IESCO's field operations, arguing that linemen posted to unfamiliar areas would initially lack detailed knowledge of local feeders, line routes, poles, transformers and the low- and high-tension network. 'Every area has its own infrastructure and operational setup. When an emergency or fault occurs, we need to know the exact location and quickest route to restore the supply,' a lineman from Attock Division said. 'If we are transferred to unfamiliar areas, routine maintenance and emergency work may not be completed as quickly as required. This will ultimately affect consumers.' PM Shehbaz, CM Murad agree to maintain political harmony The linemen said local field staff had acquired years of practical knowledge and experience of their respective grids and distribution networks, adding that their sudden transfer could create an operational knowledge gap that would take time to address. In response to the transfer orders, a delegation representing the affected linemen met MNA Malik Sohail Khan Kamrial and MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed to present their grievances. The delegation briefed the lawmakers on the potential financial hardship and operational difficulties arising from the transfers. According to the employees, the lawmakers assured them that their concerns would be conveyed to the relevant authorities. The promoted linemen have appealed to IESCO Chief Executive Officer Engineer Khalid Mahmood to review the transfer orders and reconsider their implementation. They have requested that employees be promoted and posted within their existing divisions or, at least, in nearby areas, arguing that such an arrangement would enable them to continue working efficiently without facing excessive additional expenditure. 'We are grateful for the promotions, but the transfers attached to them are causing considerable distress,' a representative of the linemen said. 'We urge the CEO to consider our circumstances sympathetically and allow us to serve in areas where we are already familiar with the system and operational requirements.' IESCO officials had not issued a formal statement on the matter when this report was filed. The company operates an extensive electricity distribution network across Islamabad and adjoining areas of Punjab. Linemen play a central role in maintaining power supply, attending to faults and carrying out field operations, particularly during emergencies and weather-related outages. The affected employees said they hoped the administration would take a balanced decision that recognised their promotions and performance while safeguarding staff welfare and ensuring that public service delivery was not affected. Tags: iescolinemenprotesttransfers