KARACHI: A strike by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees across the country entered its second day – forcing the airline to cancel several flights – and affecting more than a thousand passengers, on Wednesday.
Staff demand the scrapping of a proposed codesharing agreement with Turkish Airlines that would see PIA relinquish most of its routes to Europe and the United States, and the sacking of managing director Aijaz Haroon.
Company and aviation officials said at least 30 flights had been cancelled since the strike began, including flights to Britain, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani delegated his defence minister to resolve the strike “urgently”, calling for a negotiated agreement between staff and management “in the larger interest” of the national carrier, his office said.
Five pilots were recently suspended and around 70 PIA employees forced into compulsory leave last month for “agitation” against management plans, a senior company official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The proposed codeshare, which still needs to be approved by the government and regulators, would mean PIA relinquishing lucrative routes to Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and US destinations New York and Chicago.
PIA last year asked the government, already saddled with mounting debt and struggling to contain the fallout from catastrophic flooding, to write off losses of $1.7 billion to save it from looming bankruptcy.
Airline spokesman Mashhood Tajwar played down the fallout, saying the situation at Islamabad airport, where a backlog of planes unable to take off was building up, had “started to improve”.
He said about 5,000 passengers had been affected by cancelled flights.
PIA managing director Haroon, who is considered close to President Asif Ali Zardari, told AFP that management was working to restore flight operations as soon as possible.
But Sohail Baloch, president the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association, said neither the management nor the government had invited it for talks.
“Our agitation will continue until the management declares its agreement with Turkish Airlines null and void, and that all employees who have been suspended are reinstated.”
Dozens of PIA staff blocked a road outside Islamabad airport, causing traffic mayhem and shouting “even a dog would be insulted to be called MD (managing director) PIA” and denouncing the Turkish proposals.
Passengers who turned up at the airport, were left standing around complaining about the disruption.
“I’ve been waiting here for the last four hours. PIA people say the flight is ok, but the security people aren’t allowing us to proceed to check-in,” Gulfraz Majeed, a 52-year-old en route to the north of England, told AFP.
“Once I reach Britain, I’m going to sue PIA and demand compensation. They’re bound to give us a hotel and alternate flight, but they haven’t bothered to offer us a single cup of tea,” Majeed said.
National airlines can’t negotiate with foreign countries without approval
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence today said that national airlines cannot negotiate with foreign countries without prior approval.
He said the Ministry of Defence was evaluating the Record of Discussion which was signed between PIA and Turkish Airlines to determine its implications.
The Ministry would be in a position to determine the appropriate course of action after its evaluation, he said.
He also clarified that the Record of Discussion could not be termed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The spokesman said that the tussle between the PIA management and its employees was due to differences over the financial and commercial aspects of the Record of Discussion.
NA committee slams PIA, Defence Minister
Defence Secretary Syed Athar Ali and Aijaz Haroon appeared before the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence today, Express 24/7 reported.
Haroon admitted to the committee that it was a mistake to not inform the Defence Ministry in writing about talks with Turkish Airlines but he said that no law had been violated in holding talks.
Meanwhile, the Defence Secretary Ali differed with the views of Haroon, saying that PIA’s negotiations with the foreign airline were against the law.
A member of the committee, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, has demanded a criminal probe into the crisis.
Similar views were expressed by another member, Sardar Haider Ali Shah, who said that the Defence Minister and the managing director of PIA should be handed over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for a probe.
Show-cause notices suspended
The Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended show-cause notices issued to the PALPA president and secretary.
The Defence Ministry had served show-cause notices to two PALPA leaders, Sohail Baloch and TM Rabbani, for instigating the employees to strike.
Baloch and Rabbani’s lawyer filed a petition in SHC – stating that his clients have challenged the compulsory service act for PIA pilots. He said the show-cause notices were issued to pressurise his clients.
Suspending the notices, the court has summoned PIA and the Defence Ministry officials on February 17.
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