The right course to follow
As the PIA strike unravels the government has been careful not to provide any fresh provocation to the striking employees. The four Joint Action Committee members taken away by plainclothes men from Karachi last week were released. Another office bearer from Rawalpindi, picked up on Monday, was also subsequently set free. Meanwhile the legal process has been set in motion by notifying the strikers that after the invocation of the Essential Services Act, the strike is illegal and would entail punishment under the law.
With the pilots returning to their job after PALPA broke ranks, the strike lost much of its fervour. It would not be possible to continue it for long. The leadership of the strikers should have withdrawn the call after the government postponed the privatisation for six months and negotiated a realistic deal. Political parties like the PPP and PTI acted hypocritically by opposing the imposition of the Essential Services Act as the former had itself taken recourse to it when in power and the later is using it to deal with the striking doctors in KP. The parties strengthened the infantile tendencies in the strikers instead of acting as a bridge between them and the government. Thus PIA was made to suffer huge losses while a number of workers might lose their jobs after the failure of the strike.
The government is no less to blame for secretive behaviour and lack of transparency while going for PIA’s privatisation. The PML-N election manifesto made no mention of PIA’s privatisation. It looked like an abrupt decision. There were no preparations to make the airline’s sales worthy. Similarly, the government failed to evolve a golden handshake scheme for redundant employees to implement the decision peacefully and with least damage. One will have to see how the government goes about privatising other enterprises to judge if it is wiser after the PIA strike. The government needs to create a prior consensus with the opposition and the unions before it proceeds in the direction.
Not knowing what to do with the National Airlines running on subsidy for years, the Government had no option but to get rid of this white elephant. It was not even sure what and how to do it. The Finance Minister had been issuing confusing statements and that prompted the Union Leaders to act in self-defence. But how they convened the whole excercise in a mis-adventure. Now, when the flight operation has restored partially and Pilots detatched themselves from the Strike, they are in a state of confusion and dilemma. It is not clear what the net outcome will be but it is better to throw the rotton eggs ( parchi employees) to make it a loss-management Airline if not profitable.
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