PIA pensioners

This is to draw the government’s attention to the injustice the retired employees of PIA have been made to face for a long time. PIA gives its employees 32 percent of their ‘total salary’ as pension but the pension formula – adopted in 2003 – calculates the rate of pensions on the basic pay. This is unfair. As per rules all other government organisations give their retired employees 50 percent of their salaries as pensions. This was also in practice at PIA until 2003. Now, the management should resort to that practice. The retired employees have been demanding since long that the airline should either give them 50 percent pension on the basic pay or make the 32 percent pension to be given on their total salaries without the said formula. Pensioners have been given a raise only once – in 2013. Also, the management should increase the pension of retired employees as per its circular No 21/2003 dated July 21, 2003. The circular clearly mentioned that ‘in future revision and suitable increase in pension shall be linked with salary revision of serving employees’.

In July last year, the airline increased the salaries of its employees twice (October 2015 and January 2017) through admin order No 21/2016 (dated July 26, 2016) but no increase in pensions was made. The management should increase the pensions with the same ratio. It should be noted that the federal and provincial governments increase pensions around budget time. Recently, a delegation of retired employees of PIA met with the CEO of the airline who assured them of increase in pensions through an approval of the board of directors last month but nothing happened. Now, there is another board of directors’ meeting in February so the management of the airline is requested to consider this issue.

Bashir Ahmad

Karachi