RAWALPINDI: The Senate Committee on Aviation discussed the ongoing strike by Pakistan International Airlines employees in protest against privatisation plans at its session on Tuesday.

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani emphasised that workers had a right to engage in any type of action for their fundamental rights and called for withdrawal of an FIR registered against PIA employees.

Amir Hayat, the airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said PIA was ready to negotiate with employees, but violation of law would not be tolerated.

The committee directed PIA to negotiate with the employees’ representatives so that their grievances could be addressed.

The meeting, chaired by Senator Hidayatullah, was attended by senators Mian Raza Rabbani, Sherry Rehman, Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, Umer Farooq and Saifullah Abro. Officials of the Aviation Division and other departments concerned were also present.

The committee later took up a public petition by a retired employee of the Civil Aviation Authority complaining the CAA had not raised pensions since 2014.

The CAA Employees Pay and Pension Regulations stipulate the pension of employees who retired in or before 2014, would be revised after every three years, according to the petitioner.

The upper house committee decided to form a sub-committee to investigate the matter and named Senator Saleem Mandviwalla as its convener.

Senator Saifullah Abro drew the body’s attention to growing complaints about delays in luggage handling at Islamabad Airport.

The CAA officials put the blame for delays on factors like pre-customs scanning, heavy load of baggage and congestion at airports.

The Civil Aviation Authority closely monitors the ground handling agents (GHAs) and takes punitive action against to avoid delays, the officials said.

The committee asked the CAA to provide details about GHAs, along with problems faced in luggage handling, at the next meeting.

While discussing the salaries, pensions and stay abroad of cabin crew, the PIA chief informed the body that salaries had not been raised over the past seven years due to the company’s financial woes.

The PIA, however, increased the salaries of cabin crews in Nov 2021 and made them eligible for pension. They are entitled to stay at five-star hotels during foreign trips.

Regarding implementation of recommendations by the committee on the fake degrees issue, the committee decided to file a ‘breach of privilege’ against the FIA chief for non-compliance with the standing committee’s directives and sending officers not conversant with the case.

Employee’s death

The committee sounded out Amir Hayat, the PIA CEO, about the road accident near Kamoke that claimed the life of Rashida Majeed, while she was en route from Sialkot to Lahore for duty on a flight.

Mr Hayat informed the committee that the service provider responsible for transporting pilots and cabin crew to their workplace had been terminated.

In reply to a question about payment of compensation to the victim’s family, he said the airline had given an amount of Rs4.8 million to her heirs and an insurance payout of Rs6.7m would be disbursed next week.

The committee was also briefed on the issue of viable flights for Balochistan.

Khaqan Murtaza, the director general of Civil Aviation Authority, said the Quetta airport receives 27 weekly flights from different cities across the country. The flights comprise 20 by PIA, three by Serene Air and four by Fly Jinnah.

The CAA chief said other airlines were reluctant to operate flights to Quetta due to commercial reasons. The committee directed the CAA to come up with a plan to increase the number of flights for Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2023