Against Centre’s decision: PIA employees boycott services at BKIA

PESHAWAR:

Air League and members of other unions have been boycotting their services at Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA) to protest the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines. Air League is a union backed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and its workers are employed by PIA.

“We have decided to go on strike daily for two hours, from noon to 2pm, as we usually do not have flights during those hours,” Air League President Rahat Iqbal told The Express Tribune. “We want to register our protest but don’t want to bother passengers.”



However, he added even if a flight arrived in those two hours, those on board will have to wait until 2pm. Those waiting in the lounge to board their flight will have to wait until the identified time period ends.

“We want the crisis to end peacefully,” Iqbal said. He added the federal government’s decision to privatise the national carrier is against the will of the employees. “A meeting has been scheduled for negotiations in Islamabad after which we will devise our strategy,” he said.

He said they will, however, be boycotting services until their demands were addressed.

Besides Air Leagues, members of Insaf Front and People Unity are also boycotting services at the airport.

As per AFP, a minister said on Tuesday the government will privatise PIA by next July, following years of crushing losses and mismanagement that have ruined the airline’s reputation. The announcement prompted protests by PIA employees.

“We are planning to privatise PIA in view of its heavy and recurring financial losses,” Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Zubair told AFP. Once the government approves the sale, the Privatisation Commission will try to sell the struggling airline on the international market.

On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, who is also the former finance minister, has called the ongoing privatisation process a façade and that the government has already struck a deal of selling the national carrier with the Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th,  2015.