JACPIAE demands board's restructuring

Restructuring of PIA board has been demanded by the Joint Action Committee of Pakistan International Airlines' Employees (JACPIAE) as one of the board members has tried to discredit the employees and management in public for something which was recommended by HR Committee of which he was a member himself.
A meeting of all unions and association called to discuss a dubious letter written to PIA Chairman by one of the members of PIAC Board and subsequently leaked to the media with mal-intentions, unanimously demanded from the government to restructure the board and remove the member who has used a wrong forum to project his own self and insulted the hard working employees of the airline.
The JACPIAE in a statement strongly opposed the suggestion of Husain Lawai against the proposed increase of salary of the PIA employees, terming it an act of hatred against poor labour of the airline who have not got any salary increase for quite some years making it really difficult for them to survive in this inflationary period. The meeting attended by CBA People's Unity, Senior Staff Association SASA, Society of Engineers SAEP, Aircraft Technicians ATAP, Flight Engineers FENA and Pilots Association Palpa.
The statement expressed concern as to how a board member, who was member of the HR committee which recommended the increase in the salaries last year, could say an adverse thing to such an extent especially when the airline stood at a critical juncture.
A spokesman of JACPIAE said it was indeed a sad moment for the employees of the airline who gave their blood and sweat to keep it flying on its wings so that they could earn a respected livelihood for their families and not because the board members could enjoy free rides. "The losses accumulated during last few years are not because of employees but managements who were supposed to be checked by the subsequent boards." "This letter of a board member to Chairman PIA as reported in media was a deliberate attempt to malign the management and show as if it is irresponsible and would not be able to implement the business plan submitted before the ECC, thus the employees' salary raise was just used by the member of board. A rich banker doesn't know how poor employees are making ends meet at the time when inflation has really played havoc on every section of the society, but he didn't spare them as it served his objective at this crucial time," he said.
The spokesman said that due to low wages the airline was facing a severe brain drain where technical staff was leaving the airline for better salaries and perks offered by Mid Eastern airlines. The decision to increase the salaries by Chairman PIAC on recommendation of the board was a morale booster for the employees and a ray of hope, but the same is being tainted unfortunately by member of the board to achieve his ulterior motives.
JACPIAE further said that poor employees had no role in making PIA a loss-making entity, therefore, the argument that this Rs five billion additional expenses would add to the annual Rs 26 billion loss of the national airline did not hold water. It is strange that the member has not shown concern over the Rs 26 billion loss but is worried about five billion only which will go to benefit the most deserving component. "The said letter is an attempt to sabotage the rightful due of employees just ahead of the Economic Co-ordination Council (ECC) meeting to consider a huge bailout package for PIA on Tuesday," the statement added. The spokesman said members of the board had witnessed during past few years financial and deliberate operational deterioration of the airline but never objected to ever increasing losses and debt, the said member never bothered to highlight the same when previous management admitted losing Rs 2,000 million in a fuel hedging deal.
JACPIAE further said that Chairman Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Secretary Defence Lieutenant General Asif Yasin Malik (Retd) had due consultation with all associations and CBA of the national flag carrier to discuss and finalise their working agreements/charter of demands, so making hue and cry in the media after consultation at the top level from a board member was also a clear violation of the protocol.
During the past 10 years, only a meager increase was given to the employees on the basis of salary restructuring. While the federal government has raised the salaries of its employees/defence personnel three times during the last five years. Since the management wants to retain its highly technical and professional workforce at any cost because this is the only way to ensure airline's progress, this meager salary increase is a must otherwise many new airlines in the region especially from Middle East are hunting for such workforce, offering huge salaries to aviation people as nothing replaces experience in this high tech aviation industry.
It will be pertinent to ask the member of the board that the Government of Pakistan also has huge gaps in every budget so would he demand government employees salaries to be frozen at 1964 level and would he also recommend the perks and privileges to be denied to board members as they have been a part and parcel of the losses reported by the airline and subsequently approved by the board.