The PIA Senior Staff Association (SSA) office has been sealed by the national airline’s administration due to a series of protests against privatisation, bifurcation, and demands for a salary raise. The move by the administration has been criticized as an attempt to disrupt the peaceful environment.
Secretary General of PIA SSA, Safdar Anjum, expressed his dissatisfaction with the administration’s decision, calling it illegal and aimed at destroying the peaceful environment. He also vowed to continue the protests until their demands are met.
Prior to the office being sealed, PIA employees held a protest against the proposed privatisation of the airline. The protestors demanded that the higher authorities approve their charter of demands, which includes a salary increase. In response, the employees also observed a strike to further emphasize their demands.
On Thursday, PIA ticket booking offices were closed for two hours as a token strike in protest against privatisation. The call for the strike was made by PIA CBA Lahore Secretary General, Rana Kashif. All PIA booking offices across the country remained closed from 3 pm to 5 pm to protest against the privatisation of the national entity.
It is important to note that the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) recently approved the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). This decision was made during a meeting with the then Finance Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar, in the chair.