PIA employees to observe token walkouts today

KARACHI:

After failing to get positive response from the government on withdrawal of a Presidential Ordinance changing the status of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) into a limited company, the workers’ unions on Monday announced that employees will stage a countrywide walkout for two and a half hours on Tuesday (today).

“Work in offices, including the reservation booths at all airports, will stop between 8:30am to 11:00am on Tuesday,” a spokesman for the Joint Action Committee of PIA Employees said.

However, he clarified: “The walkouts will not be applicable on pilots and cabin crew to ensure that PIA flight operation is not affected.”

This is just a precursor to what could happen in the coming days, the spokesman said, adding, “We don’t want to interrupt the flight schedule and hurt PIA but the government must realise that employees are becoming more anxious with each passing day.”

According to some airline industry people, change of PIA status into limited company from a corporation will make it easy for the government to sell its stake in the national carrier.

On December 5, President Mamnoon Hussain promulgated the PIA Corporation Conversion Ordinance. After the promulgation unions are holding protests across the country against the proposed privatisation, which the government deems inevitable considering a huge cash injection needed to bailout the airline.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2015.