The new management of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has announced financial benefits for the employees and officers as motivational gesture with the pledge of better customer care.
Addressing a large gathering of the engineers, workers and staff members at the Power House, Elander Road on Wednesday, the KESC Chief Executive Officer Frank Scherschmidt announced monetary benefits for the employees.
The occasion was arranged for the personal interaction of CEO with the workforce.
Representative of the worker unions, engineers and officers association were invited to be seated on stage with the senior officers and the management to mark a beginning of healthy management-employees relationship.
KESC has about 20,000 employees of which 10,000 are on contract. On the occasion the engineers, workers and staff members showed exemplary discipline while rejoicing the announcement of long-awaited monetary benefits.
At the outset, Scherschmidt proposed the pledge, which the whole assembly of employees repeated after him, "We will work together to serve Karachi and make our customers satisfied". Each of us will do something special for our city, the KESC CEO added.
"I have made Karachi my home. Together, we shall make the KESC and our customers one happy family to feel proud of ourselves," Scherschmidt said.
Both the management and the employees have a very heavy responsibility of making the company financially viable by better serving the customers, he said, adding: "It is better to lose an argument and win a friend."
He said that a satisfied customer is a valuable asset and best advertisement for the business.
For quick launch of latest technology, skills, modernisation and automation the organisation has operations and management partners for two years during which each employee would be trained for modern means of power supply and efficient customer care, he added.
Scherschmidt said foreign and local training would be imparted, but the employees will have to work hard to achieve success and qualify on merit. The city power network improvement list has been prioritised to finish the work before the next summer to provide improved power supply, he explained.
Frank Scherschmidt's was in English, but was simultaneously translated in Urdu for the benefit of the workers.
Besides other incentives the monetary package announced by the Scherschmidt includes: 20 percent increase in the initial salary of the contract employees from December 1, 2005; equivalent to 15 percent of the basic salary special allowance to the permanent employees non-officers effective December 1, 2005; All officers and workers including contract employees will be paid one time payment of half of their basic salary as a good will gesture in the first week of January 2006.
The KESC CEO informed the employees that the management would share its vision regularly with them while categorically stating that 'no retrenchment' will take place.
Complaints and Suggestions Cubicle has been set up at the CEO office for the employees and customers to contribute towards better management of the power utility.