PIA staff, govt stick to their guns

Over 200 employees issued show-cause notices as PM rules out talks

RAWALPINDI/ KARACHI:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ruled out the possibility of talks with striking workers of the national air carrier until they return to work.

The premier appears also to have stiffened his stance on their ongoing protest and strike action, barring his party members from meeting any labour representatives until PIA’s long disrupted flight schedule becomes normal again.



Insiders in the PM House told Express News that Privatisation Commission Chairman Muhammad Zubair has been directed to continue working on setting up a new airline as decided earlier besides looking for a potential buyer for the ailing national carrier.

In yet another sign of its firm stance against the protesting staff, the government sent show-cause notices on Monday to over 200 employees under the Essential Services Act. The notices have been mailed to the home addresses of employees, warning them against threatening those wanting to resume work, officials said.

The move seemed to work as about 90% of the PIA workers resumed their duties at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, fearing termination from service.

The airline managed to operate several flights out of Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi as operations started partially after a week-long crippling strike at the national airlines against its proposed sell-off.

Meanwhile, PIA’s Joint Action Committee (JAC), which has been leading the protest, called off its planned rally in Karachi after four of its missing workers were released. Union leaders joined their colleagues in the protest, refusing to back down from their demands.

19 flights take off

The national flag carrier said it had flown passengers to domestic and international destinations on 19 flights by Monday evening.

The partial resumption of flights coincided with an announcement by JAC, allowing its members to facilitate flights for the benefit of pilgrims stuck in Saudi Arabia – a step indicating flexibility in the stance of workers’ unions in the face of the government’s crackdown.

But the unions were quick to play down the resumption of flights. “Most of these flights are being flown by pilots deputed on management duties. Flights took off in violation of rules since PIA ground engineers are not ready to clear the takeoff,” said a pilot, who has joined the protest.

But a PIA spokesman rejected the allegations.

Missing men return

The four PIA union representatives, who went missing a day after two men were shot dead during a protest rally, were released by their captors in Nazimabad. Hidayatullah Khan, Saifullah Larak, Zameer Chandio and Mansoor Ahmed Dahlo had been missing since February 3.

Despite the apprehensions surrounding their mysterious abduction, all the four labour leaders remained adamant on their stand against the government to ‘save the airline’.

At a news conference at the PIA head office, JAC Chairman Sohail Baloch the flight operations were only allowed to resume for the sake of pilgrims stranded in Jeddah. “We have taken this step as a goodwill gesture towards the stranded passengers. The operations will be paused once again,” he warned.

Baloch said the unions were willing to negotiate with the likes of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Another leader said there was a chance of a breakthrough within a day or two.

Stalemate persists

At the Islamabad airport, only six out of the 42 scheduled flights for February 8 took off. All flights could not be operated due to shortage of staff, an official admitted.

PIA spokesperson Daniyal Gilani told the media that head offices in Karachi and Islamabad had reopened on Monday, following “partial resumption” of flight operations at various airports across the country.

He added the PIA management would take legal action against those found involved in illegal activities.

The PIA spokesman said the warning letters sent to the protesters were sent to inform them that their strike was illegal. The letter states the law envisages serious penalties, including dismissal from service and imprisonment for a maximum period of one year along with a fine, for the protesting employees.

The Punjab government has also imposed Section 144 around the airports.

The Rawalpindi district administration has, however, allowed them to set up a protest camp on a vacant plot near the Dhoke-Hafiz intersection.

Govt threats

But the situation aggravated when plainclothes policemen took away Shoaib Yousafzai, one of the key JAC representatives. The protesters blocked the airport road and shouted slogans against the government.

Yousafzai was released shortly afterwards. He said the Islamabad police had been continuously harassing the protesting workers. He added three more employees – Sohail Mukhtar, Saleem Bhatti and Naveed Malik – were still missing without any information of their whereabouts.



Around 200 workers and union members of Wapda, PTCL, Railways and Awami Workers Party gathered in front of the Lahore Press Club and staged a protest to show solidarity with the martyred PIA workers and their struggle against privatisation of the national carrier.

In Quetta, flight operations have been suspended for the past one week. The PIA employees have shut down all offices, including centres for ticket booking, cargo and courier.

JAC Balochistan President Shabbir Tareen told The Express Tribune around 12 flights had been cancelled in the province on a daily basis. Private airlines are also not landing at Quetta airport as PIA staff had stopped all logistical support.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2016.