The retired employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been facing sheer injustice due to non-increase in their pensions since long.
There was only one-time increase in the pensions of PIA employees and that was in 2013 between the period from 2009 to 2017.
Every year, there are plausible increases in the pensions of federal and provincial governments' employees at the time of budgets but this doesn't happen to the PIA.
And the fact is that the management has to increase the pension of retired employees as per its circular No 21/2003 dated July 31, 2003. The circular clearly mentions that 'in future revision/suitable increase in pension shall be linked with salary revision of serving employees'.
Another issue is that the national airline gives its employees 32 percent of their total salary as pension. But the formula (which was adopted in 2003) it applies in the end makes the pension calculated on their basic pays, which is not fair.
As per rules, all other government organisations give their retired employees 50% of their salaries as pensions. This was also in practice at PIA till the end of 2003.
This is the reason the retired employees have been demanding since long that the airline should either give them 50 percent pension on their basic pay, or make the 32 percent pension to be given on their total salaries without implying the said formula.
According to Admin order No 21/2016 dated July 26, 2016, the salaries of General Manager and above were increased with effect from October 1, 2015 (Rs 74,000) and then further increased with effect from January 1, 2017 (Rs 56,000), making the total increase of Rs 130,000 approximately.
I therefore request to the management of the PIA that pensions should be increased in line with the salary increase with the ratio of serving employees and in future pension increase should be made as per increase in federal budget every year by the government.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019

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