PALPA to go on strike, if pilots put on contract

KARACHI: The Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association (PALPA) is seriously considering going on a strike if the management of the national airline continues to implement its plan of putting pilots on contract basis.
Converting pilots’ jobs into a contract is not only a safety risk for flying community but will also put the pilots in distress, the organization said, “We have decided to go on a strike if the management refuses to consult us on the contracts issue.”
President PALPA Capt. Amir Hashmi said the basic requirement for safe flying is that pilots’ mind is free of all worries. “It has been proved through crash investigations by National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States that a pilot in distress or disgruntled over leaves, salary or compensation and other domestic issues is a risk for flight safety,” he added.
President Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association said all efforts globally are being made to involve International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), whenever a decision regarding pilots is taken by any airline. “Similarly, airlines consult their respective pilots’ association to decide over the financial issues, duty time limitations, job positions and office duties,” he added.
“Here things are completely being handled by the inexperienced management without any consultation with Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association,” Hashmi said, adding that this is not acceptable for the pilots of the airline. As as a matter of fact, most of the top management is not even in regular employment of the airline as they are on Leave Prior to Retirement (LPR).
PIA is contemplating contracts to pilots changing their job status from regular employee to contractual.
“The management denied this initially but then the contract proposal was presented to the board.
Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association tried to make them understand but the Association was not taken on board on this important development, he added.
Amir said Pakistan Airline Pilots’ Association is a bargaining body with a responsible role in aviation sector, so it must be consulted on this important issue.
According to the first phase of association’s plan, the pilot community will withdraw extra cooperation over and above the agreement negotiated between the management and the association.
Then, in the next phase the pilots would go on strike.
“It is quite unfortunate that the management of the airline always tries to run things in their own fashion and doesn’t bother to consult other important stakeholders of the airline which make things worse and the stakeholders are left with no option but to use extreme means to get their rights,” PALPA president said.
The contract proposal is not only against the airline rules, but the matter was not even put up to the HR Committee of PIAC whose approval is a pre-requisite of putting up cases to the board for consideration.
“Similarly, the bindings of ESTA Code pertaining to contract employment in government and semi-government organizations and autonomous bodies have also been disregarded,” he added.
Moreover, the rulings of the Supreme Court on the hiring of personnel above the age of 60 years is completely disregarded, while neither any approval has been granted by the establishment division nor any approval has been sought from the Honourable Prime Minister as required under the rule.
“We do not want to behave like a typical trade union nor we ever did but the safety of our pilots and the passengers are of utmost importance for us,” he said, “the recent mindset of the management has revealed that they are least bothered of passenger’s safety or their comfort based on numerous passengers complaints concerning the media reports.”