Pakistan airline employees end strike
February 12th, 2011 - 3:09 am ICT by IANSIslamabad, Feb 12 (IANS) Employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Friday night called off their week-long strike that affected flight services badly in the country after the resignation of the national carrier’s managing director.The PIA workers ended the strike after a meeting between their leaders and senior ministers.
The leaders of PIA employees’ joint action committee (JAC) were summoned for a meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar to resolve the deadlock.
“This situation is a cause of concern for us and we could not allow things to drift like this,” said Malik briefing the media after the meeting while.
“We are a pro-worker government and will do everything to address their concerns,” he assured.
“I am announcing here that MD, PIA has tendered his resignation from the post and it has been accepted with immediate effect,” Mukhtar said, adding that “the agreement with Turkish airline would also not go ahead”.
“This agreement was never presented before the ministry or other relevant authorities. There is no way that we can compromise on the interests of our national institutions,” he pointed out.
The employees were protesting against the authoritarian handling of affairs by PIA managing director Ijaz Haroon, a close associate of President Asif Ali Zardari, and an alleged agreement with the Turkish airline that is believed to hand over cash-rich international routes to the Turkish partner and create further financial difficulties for the national carrier.
The MD’s move to terminate the services of JAC leaders had turned the protest violent and scuffles with law enforcement officials were witnesses at airports across the country. More than 6,000 passengers were severely affected by the total shut down of flight operations.
Haroon’s resignation prompted celebration among the strikers.
Representative of JAC Sohail Baloch thanked the ministers “for taking timely stock of the situation to resolve the crisis and praised his own comrades, who braved through testing times to stand united for achieving their goals”.
“Our struggle was for just causes and we had no personal objectives. I want to assure the government that flight operations will resume from midnight (of Friday and Saturday) and we’ll do our utmost to revive PIA’s precarious situation within six months”.
- Pakistani airline strike disrupts 120 flights - Feb 10, 2011
- PIA staffers to stage nationwide protests - Nov 11, 2011
- Rs.500,000 salary for 150 PIA officials - Sep 15, 2011
- Kingfisher cancels 20 flights, passengers take the hit - Feb 22, 2012
- Telangana employees threaten another strike - Feb 10, 2012
- Sacking of pilots right, can't hold Air India to ransom: Minister - Apr 27, 2011
- Kingfisher negotiates with striking employees (Lead) - Apr 21, 2012
- Bus employees to continue strike for Telangana - Oct 09, 2011
- Hyderabad shutdown called on Sep 30, rail blockade in October (Roundup) - Sep 26, 2011
- Telangana employees return to work after 16 days - Mar 05, 2011
- JAC to intensify Telangana movement - Aug 17, 2011
- 12 percent Air India flights cancelled as 600 pilots strike work (Third Lead) - Apr 27, 2011
- No government bailout for Kingfisher: Ajit Singh (Lead) - Feb 20, 2012
- No international operations until transaction suspension revoked: Mallya - Mar 21, 2012
- Kingfisher's firm operating schedule in a few days: Mallya - Mar 15, 2012
Tags: action committee, airline employees, asif ali zardari, baloch, deadlock, defence minister, financial difficulties, flight operations, flight services, interior minister, jac, law enforcement officials, national carrier, national institutions, pakistan airline, pakistan international airlines, rehman malik, relevant authorities, timely stock, turkish airline