I would like to draw the attention of the government authorities towards an injustice the retired employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have been facing since long.
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. This is not justice. As per the 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. Now, the management should resort to that practice.
The retired employees have been demanding since long that the airline should either give them 50 percent pension on the basic pay or make the 32 percent pension to be given on their total salaries without the said formula.
There was only one-time increase in pensions and that was in 2013. Also, the management should increase the pension of retired employees as per its circular No 21/2003 dated July 21, 2003. The circular clearly mentioned that 'in future revision/suitable increase in pension shall be linked with salary revision of serving employees'.
In July last year, the airline increased the salaries of its employees twice (October 2015 and January 2017) through admin order No 21/2016 dated July 26, 2016 but no increase in pension was made. The management should increase the pension with the same ratio. It should be noted that the federal and provincial governments increase pensions around budget time.
Recently, a delegation of retired employees of PIA met the CEO of the airline who assured them of increase in pensions through an approval of the board of directors but this did not happen so far. Now, there is another board of directors' meeting in February and it is requested to the management of the national airline to consider the issue of increase in pensions with the same ratio of retired employees and do the justice.
No content from Business Recorder shall be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication, or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium.
Business Recorder shall not be responsible or held liable for any error of fact, opinion or recommendation and also for any loss, financial or otherwise, resulting from business or trade or speculation conducted, or investments made, on the basis of the information posted here. Nor shall Business Recorder be held liable for any actions taken in consequence." >Copyright Business Recorder, 2017