Voluntary separation offer for PIA employees expires, downsizing to follow

KARACHI: The voluntary separation scheme (VSS) extended by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)to employees in order to allow them a compensation amount for leaving the job voluntarily ends Thursday, ARY News reported.

According to the details shared with ARY News by PIA spokesperson, so far 2000 applications of VSS have been approved since it announced the scheme in the second week of December for two following weeks.

However, due to an encouraging response from its staffers who chose to give up their jobs voluntarily, the PIA extended this offer for one more week on Dec 22 and then for two more days as it was to expire day before yesterday.

Its spox said the national flag carrier has already issued release letters to at least 1000 employees who signed up for the scheme.

READ: PIA extends voluntary separation scheme deadline

PIA earlier announced to extend the deadline for receiving applications under the voluntary separation scheme for one more day.

According to a notification issued by the PIA human resource chief, the employees of the national flag carrier can now apply for early retirement under VSS till 31st of December.

It is pertinent to mention here that over 1,300 employees of the airline had submitted applications seeking early retirement under the VSS.

“We have already received funds of Rs 12 billion from the federal government for payments under the VSS programme,” the PIA CEO said.

The VSS was introduced to allow employees to part ways with PIA amicably in order to help the national airline to cut its cost and allocate the expenditure for its long-overdue upgradation.

A mandatory retirement scheme will follow the VSS, under which employees with poor performance will be laid off, the sources said.