ALL PALPA MEMBERS:
السلام عليكم
A very happy new year to all members. We earnestly hope the New Year ushers in an era of prosperity for the airline and good fortune for all our members and their families.
There has been a change of guards at the Directorate of Flight Operations. Capt. Naveed Aziz has taken charge as DFO. We are looking forward to forging a relationship of trust and mutual understanding with the Directorate of Flight Operations, which had left a lot to be desired in the past by his predecessor, who refused to accept the PALPA-PIAC Working Agreement as a core document.
We have faith in the Almighty ALLAH that with the right direction and intent we shall once again rise to the occasion and restore the dignity of pilots. The issue of contracts to pilots after superannuation is the burning issue once again. Our stance on contracts is unequivocally clear which was ratified in the form of the AGM resolutions and binds the Executive Committee to follow it religiously. However, if due to dire constraints it is unavoidable then the guideline is mentioned in the Working Agreement clause 5.5.6 which is reproduced:
5.5.6. The Corporation shall at no stage engage contract/expatriate Pilots, except in consultation with the Association, and provided that the Corporation is able to justify the shortage of Pilots with requisite experience to fill such vacancies. In such an event contract/expatriate Pilots shall be eligible to fly on the equipment for the specified period of contract which shall not be for more than one year at a time. If during the interim period regular Pilots of the Airline have achieved the minimum qualification essential for promotion then such regular Pilots shall be promoted on the equipment and contract/expatriate pilot shall be permitted to fly provided, he/she does not deprive regular Pilot of his/her due share of flying. If a contract Pilot is at any stage absorbed in service of the Corporation as a Pilot, he/she shall be treated as a new entrant and placed at the bottom of the seniority list as per Corporation’s rules.
The Presidential Ordinance, which was to be promulgated to change the status of PIA to a Public Limited Company, has been turned down in the Senate to the glee of many PIA employees and their families. All credit goes to the unity amongst all the elected and non elected Unions/Associations for their hard work in achieving the desired result.
However, it is a long road ahead and we may have to fight many a battles to come before we can emerge victorious. For that reason, we urge all the members to have faith in PALPA as an institution who has always worked to uphold the dignity and have always protected the just right of pilot members as a community.
Warm Best Regards,
Capt. Sohail Ahmed
GENERAL SECRETARY
LONG LIVE THE UNITY OF PILOTS