KARACHI: Pakistan Airlines Pilots' Association (Palpa) has termed up to 30 percent cut in pilots' gross salaries as unjustified, saying that it would lower the morale of the community and could potentially compromise flight safety.

According to a spokesman, despite the malicious campaign by the PIA management, the cockpit and cabin crew of the airline are at the forefront of the rescue flight operations for weeks now.

"Keeping in mind the current state of emergency, due to the COVID-19 effecting the entire world, only very few airlines are operating passenger flights with PIA being the forerunners. The Flight crew is risking their lives in being the core factor of the boasted 8 billion profit made by the management," he added.

"This unannounced, unjustified and unilateral heavy deduction in gross salaries is putting unacceptable stress on an already high stress and exceedingly high responsibility job which is acknowledged the world over by psychologists, thus jeopardizing safety," he said.

"We believe that this is a sort of a punishment for raising our voice regarding the unacceptable safety precautions taken when the COVID special flights were initiated on 4th April 2020," he added.

"The government had categorically announced that no salary deductions will take place and on the contrary, all those in the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic; will get enhanced remuneration," he said, adding that instead of getting a bonus, our pay has been decreased.

"This illegal punishment should be reversed immediately, more so, because there are reports that other government employees will get an increase of 20% in their salaries & pensions in the next budget," he added.

PIA spokesman denied Palpa allegations, saying that the salaries cut have been done across the board on all officer cadre and salary above 100K.

He said that 10 percent on salary between 100-200k, 15 percent on salary between 200-300K, 20 percent on salary between 300-500k, 25 percent on salary above 500K.

He said that pilots were at highest salary scale and faced 25 percent salary cut.