ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Airlines Pilots’ Association (PALPA) on Wednesday announced a conditional end to a protest strike that has caused cancellation of countless flights and millions of rupees in losses to national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The decision was taken during a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation in Islamabad on Wednesday. “We are calling off the strike on the guarantee of the chairman and members of the standing committee,” said PALPA president Amir Hashmi.
During the session, the committee chairman ruled that all stakeholders including officials of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) meet in two days’ time to resolve the crisis. The chairman also ordered that a report on resolution of the dispute be presented in the committee in its next session on Friday.
The row started after the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority suspended the licences of two pilots for one and two years respectively for “unlawfully operating flight without permission”.
PIA claimed that the pilots’ association was blackmailing the management to agree to unjust promotions and unjustified benefits for executives. PALPA, on the other hand, denied that they were exercising a “go slow” or observing a strike, but they were not taking on extra work and this is why the flights were cancelled.
PALPA vice president Sadiq Rehman claimed that the PIA management was asking “one man to do the job of two, and get the salary of one and a half men.” All parties, including the CAA, PIA and PALPA officials will meet again on Friday now to further discuss their demands and resolve the dispute.
PALPA ends protest conditionally
