The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) management and Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA) on Thursday finalised a draft agreement to resolve the outstanding issues between them.
The eight-hour-long talks between PIA management and pilots’ association held on Thursday was attended among others by Adviser to Prime Minister on Aviation Shujat Azeem, Secretary Aviation Mohammad Ali Gardezi, PIA chairman and PALPA representatives.
All the outstanding issues were discussed and the management reportedly agreed on the implementation of a working agreement. Further, the PALPA has withdrawn its demand of removal of Director Flight Operations (DFO). However, the issue regarding medical board remained unresolved as the management threw the ball in Civil Aviation Authority’s court.
A committee comprising representatives of the PIA, CAA and PALPA has been constituted which would resolve the matter regarding pilots’ seniority within a deadline. Sources said the show cause/legal notices issued to pilots may be withdrawn.
PALPA on Wednesday announced a conditional suspension to their protest strike for two days on the intervention of a parliamentary panel. PIA Chairman Nasser Jaffer said that talks concluded in a pleasant way and all the outstanding issues were resolved.
On Wednesday, the protesting pilots had temporarily called off a six-day-long ‘go slow’ that cancelled almost 90 flights and cost the national carrier millions of rupees following an assurance from the senate standing committee that their demands will be negotiated.
PALPA President Amir Hashmi had said that they had called off the protest until Friday 2pm on the assurance of Senate’s Standing Committee Chairman Talha Mahmood.
The row started after the Civil Aviation Authority suspended the licences of two pilots for one and two years respectively for “unlawfully operating flight without permission”. The 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 observing a strike, but they were not taking on extra work and this was 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 were expected to meet again on Friday during the Senate standing committee session for a final resolution to the dispute. The state-owned PIA has a fleet of 41 aircraft which include Boeing 777, Airbus A320 and ATR, and 436 active pilots.