PIA pensioners

This is to draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the plight of retired employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The national airline gives its employees 32 percent of their total salary as pension, but the formula (which was adopted in 2003) applies in the end makes the pension calculated on their basic pays. As per rules, all other governmental organisations are required to give their retired employees 50 percent of their salaries as pensions. This was also in practice at PIA till the end of 2003. Now, the management should resort to that practice.

The retired employees have been demanding 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 following the 2003 formula for pension calculation. There was only a one-time increase in pensions in 2013 during the period from 2010 to 2018. It should be noted that both federal and provincial governments increase pensions around the time the budget was due. This exercise should also be practiced in PIA at the time of federal budgets. A delegation of retired employees of PIA met with the CEO who assured them of an increase in pensions through an approval of the board of directors, but this did not happen. The authorities concerned should take a look into the matter and direct the PIA management to increase pensions at the earliest.

Bashir Ahmad

Karachi