Ban imposed on union activities in PIA for six months

ISLAMABAD: In an effort to block an impending strike, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Monday extended the Essential Services Maintenance Act 1952 to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for six months.

The employees had announced a strike against the proposed privatization of the national flag carrier from Tuesday (today). According to a statement from the PM’s Office, the prime minister approved the summary of the Aviation Division.

“Any person found guilty of an offence under this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and shall also be liable to a fine,” reads the legislation.

The law essentially restricts activity in state-administered sectors, including the railways, postal services, telephone and affiliated services, and airports and seaports.Meanwhile, the PIA management on Monday said the current strike had inflicted a loss of Rs750 million on the airline so far and it would continue to accumulate.

“If the aircraft didn’t fly, then it would become harder for the airline to pay salaries and perks to its employees,” said the spokesman in a statement. He said the employees in their own and the airline’s interest should avoid suspending the flight operations.

On the other hand, the Joint Action Committee (PAC) stuck to its call for the strike and at the same time expressed readiness to engage in talks with the government to resolve the impasse.

The protesting employees have warned of shutting down the flight operations from 7am today.Earlier, talking to media persons, Captain Sohail Baloch said no aircraft of the national carrier will fly on Tuesday (today). Baloch said the protesters were ready to face action.The JAC’s protest entered the seventh day on Monday.  

Salman Siddiqui adds from Karachi: The anti-privatization demonstrators are determined to disrupt the flight operations from 7.00am on Tuesday (today) despite the government’s threat of termination of services.

The leaders of the protesters did not rule out their arrest before sunrise on Tuesday. “Director General Rangers has summoned us to his office on the eve of Tuesday,” said an office-bearer of the Joint Action Committee.

In another development, the chairman of All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association denied they had committed suspending transportation of jet fuel to the airports from Tuesday morning in solidarity with the PIA employees.

“If an individual member of the association has made such a commitment to PIA employees, then it has nothing to do with the association...we will continue to transport oil to the airports,” said Bakhtawar Khan, Chairman of the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association.

“If they [PIA employees] invite suggestions or ask us for our support, then we will see what to do,” he said. The office-bearer of PIA Joint Action Committee said, “We are ready to sacrifice our jobs for a greater cause.” They said the employees were ready for any untoward situation.

“The employees would halt the flight operations at 7.00am on Tuesday (today), and a rally of theirs would march towards the Jinnah International Terminal, Karachi, at 10am from the PIA head office at the [old] Terminal-I,” they added.

The Joint Action Committee criticised the federal government for invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act 1952 for six months.

A leader said: “The invocation of the Act is like the elected government adopting a dictatorial style of ruling....The enforcement of the Act is tantamount to denying the employees their basic rights.”