SC restores PIA employees’ union as CBA

PESHAWAR: The Supreme Court has restored the People’s Unity of PIA Employees status as Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) for all employees in Pakistan.
A two-member Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Saqib Nisar and Justice Musheer Alam, accepted the petition of People’s Unity of PIA Employees, which is a union of PIA employees, filed for restoration as CBA for all PIA employees in Pakistan.
The apex court suspended the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s decision announced on November 19, 2014, in which the high court had cancelled People’s Unity of PIA Employees status as CBA.
The Supreme Court stated in its order that operation of the Lahore High Court order passed on November 19, 2014 shall remain suspended and the position prior to the holding of referendum shall be maintained till the next hearing.
However, the court clarified that interim relief shall not continue if the order regarding suspension of the Lahore High Court decision was not extended at the next date of hearing.MA Ghani Chaudhry, counsel for People’s Unity of PIA Employees, said that after suspension of the LHC order of November 19, the LHC’s previous order passed on October 30, 2014 had been restored, in which the People’s Unity of PIA Employees had been declared as Collective Bargaining Agent for all PIA employees in Pakistan.
He stated that earlier the LHC in its decision on October 30, 2014 had declared union as CBA, but on the petition of Air League, a rival union, the court cancelled the status, against which the People’s Unity of PIA Employees appealed in the Supreme Court.He stated that after the apex court’s order passed on January 20, 2015 the Air League has ceased to be Collective Bargaining Agent.