The employees of PIA should be grateful to their management, BOD and the aviation division that even at a time where major airlines are going bankrupt and thousands of airline pilots, technicians etc have been laid off, they are getting their salaries without any reduction in staff or salary. So magnanimous is PIA management that pilots continue to be paid fabulous salaries with 75 guaranteed flying hours allowance, when average utilization is below even 25-30 hours. In some cases even arrears are being paid to those who retired after 2016.
Our government has been paying guaranteed capacity payment to IPP investors also, irrespective of generation or load utilized by the national power distribution network. Compare this to oil and gas rich Qatar, which has slashed salaries and staff of Qatar Air, and is even recovering almost two lakh dollars from each, spent on their training. This government has a soft corner for airline employees, elite civil and uniformed paid employees, but not for doctors, health workers, teachers and other professionals who have specialized in science, technology, economics and other skills. Promises of payment to daily wagers, and millions living below poverty line will hopefully be realized.
G Zaman
Peshawar
