ALL PALPA MEMBERS:
السلام عليكم
A lot has been happening since our last update to the membership relating to the pilot fraternity.
ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING:- To begin with the AGM scheduled for 28th February 2015 had to be postponed as the auditors showed their inability to complete the PALPA House audit for the financial year ended June 30, 2014. We have been informed by the auditors that they expected the audit to be completed by the mid of March 2015. Once we receive the audit report, a new date for the AGM shall be communicated to the membership. Any inconvenience in this regard is highly regretted.
OUTSTANDING FOREIGN ALLOWANCE:- The payment of outstanding foreign allowances has begun. Two months outstanding foreign allowances will be paid every month till the time back log is cleared.
REFUSED DAYS OFF:- The payment for refused days off has also been put on the fast track. We expect the back log of refused days off to be cleared as per the same schedule as that of foreign allowances.
WORKING AGREEMENT 2013-2015:- The work on the PALPA-PIAC Working Agreement 2013-2015 is in the final stages and we expect to submit the Working Agreement by the end of this month to the management.
FED ON REBATED TICKETS:- The very important and urgent issue of imposition of FED on staff tickets remains unresolved. The PIA management has shown its inability to help resolve this issue or to absorb the additional financial impact. The Executive Committee is looking at various options to resolve this issue to our satisfaction.
NS-I TRAVEL:- The Chairman had instructed the General Manager IT and Director Marketing to get in touch with SABRE and get this issue resolved by creating a separate category for the reservation of NS-I passages for cockpit crew & dependants. We need to have another meeting after submission of their report.
PAYMENT OF EXCESS DUTY/DENIED REST:- Chief Financial Officer informed that NO instructions have been issued to the cash counter to only make payment to pilots if the amount is less than Rs. 25,000/- in lieu of excess duty/denied rest/refused days off. However, payments over Rs. 50,000/- on single voucher CAN NOT be paid in cash due to Governments’ regulations.
We have not been able to meet Capt. Shujaat Azeem, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation to discuss and resolve the issues related to PCAA.
PCAA ISSUES:- Director Flight Operations will co-ordinate with PALPA and highlight the issues. PALPA will draft a letter regarding various issues and the same letter will be jointly submitted to the Aviation Ministry & PCAA.
NON-PAYMENT OF PILOTS LOSS OF LICENSE: – Chief Financial Officer has assured that in case of permanent grounding, a pilots’ account will be settled within 30 days after the pilot submits his required documents.
COCKPIT CREW PICKUP & DROP AT ISB BASE:- Temporary arrangements have been made for crew pick up and drop at Islamabad base till the time this issue is discussed with the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation. In the meantime Crew pickup and drop will be from the drop lane in front of the domestic departure lounge. Additional crew loaders have been asked for and a separate MT supervisor has been arranged for the convenience of the Cockpit crew.
SPREADING RUMORS/MISINFORMATION:- A lot of misinformation is being circulated to the members through various means against the incumbent Executive Committee by giving it various un-popular names, this is being done to undermine the working of the current Executive Committee, as the so called “STALWARTS” cannot digest the impartially & transparency in the working of the Executive Committee.
The blatant lies regarding the number of long range flights flown by the President, although this is first time in history of PALPA, that Executive Committee Member’s rosters are being filed and available along with other record for reference, his simulator hours are also the lowest as per record, despite of being one of the senior most instructor on B-777. The amount of excess duty flight expenses claimed by the Vice President and blaming the General Secretary for falsely claiming 105 hours are all a figment of imagination of our so called “SAVIOURS OF THE NATION’S PRIDE”. As evident from the last one year, it is only a handful of members with ulterior motives, who have time and again tried to hinder the progress of the Executive Committee on one pretext or another, but thanks to the Almighty and the good intent of the current Executive Committee all such moves to damage the Association have faced the same fate. We earnestly request you all, not to pay any heed to such elements and get in touch with the Executive Committee members for any query or clarifications.
In the forthcoming Executive Committee meeting, the most important issue of privatization will be discussed and a strategy will be chalked out to oppose privatization of the airline. So far, we are of the opinion that there is no transparency in the privatization process and the higher management is not keeping us in loop.
The Executive Committee is thankful to the members for their patience and continued support. We assure you that no stone will be left unturned to safeguard the interest of every member.
With Best Regards,
FO Rifaat A. Hussain
JOINT SECRETARY
LONG LIVE THE UNITY OF PILOTS