PIA administration invites protesting employee union for talks

KARACHI: The protests of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employee unions bore fruit as the administration invited the People’s Unity CBA for talks, citing sources, ARY News reported on Monday.

The PIA employees and officers unions staged a series of protests against the airline’s privatisation plan and also demanded salary raises.

PIA chairman Aslam R Khan contacted the president of the People’s Unity CBA – the union representing the airline’s employees – Hidayatullah Khan.

Sources told ARY News that the PIA administration will hold talks with the office-bearers of the PIA CBA union in Islamabad.

The PIA spokesperson confirmed the development and said that a meeting will be held with the CBA union regarding the salaries.

A negotiation committee has been constituted which will be led by the PIA chairman following the airline’s board. The committee members include two board members and chief of the human resources (HR) department, sources added.

People’s Unity CBA president told the media that they will continue their protests until their demands are met.

Earlier, it was learnt that two officials of the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) People’s Unity CBA were apprehended by the police during a raid at a PIA booking office.

According to the reports, the local police conducted a raid at the PIA booking office and apprehended the Vice President of PIA People’s Unity CBA, Zameer Chandio, and Senior Vice President, Ashraf.

It is worth mentioning here that the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Action Committee of Employees staged protests outside PIA’s offices nationwide, opposing the decision regarding the privatization of the national flag carrier.

The protestors stated that all the booking offices of PIA will remain closed as part of the protest until their demands are met.

The protestors further maintained that, under no circumstances they would allow to process the privatization of the national airline.

In response to the arrests, employees chant slogans in protest against what they perceived as an unjust action against PIACBA officials.

The situation remains tense as protesters await resolution on their demands and the release of the arrested officials.

The PIA administration had registered an FIR against more than 250 protesting PIACBA officials and employees.