KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has applied an “across-the-board cut” in the salaries of its officers and pilots, with exception to the lowest and non-officer cadre.

The move irked the Pakistan Airlines Pilots Associations (Palpa) which termed it “unjustified” and against the government’s directives that no salary deduction would take place.

A spokesperson for the PIA said that the aviation industry was in turmoil and people were losing jobs while working for world’s most profitable airlines because of the coronavirus crisis.

“PIA’s flight operations have restricted to 10 per cent its regular operations due to Covid-19 — from 110 departures a day to hardly 10 departures. We have to cut on a lot of expenses barely to stay afloat. Salary cut has been across the board with exception to the lowest and non-officer cadre,” he added.

According to the schedule of pay cuts, 10pc on salary between Rs100,000-200,000; 15pc on salary between Rs200,000-300,000; 20pc on salary between Rs300,000-500,000 and 25pc on salary above Rs500,000.

“It’s a tough decision but there is no other way. It’s temporary till [normal] operations resume. All other cadres have accepted it,” the PIA spokesperson claimed.

However, Palpa believed that this was a “sort of a punishment for raising our voice regarding the unacceptable safety precautions taken when the Covid special flights were initiated on April 4”.

“Without any notification up to 25-30pc cuts in gross salaries of the pilots of the national airline is unjustified and will lower the morale of the community, which is already under pressure due to stressful working conditions which can potentially compromise flight safety,” said a Palpa spokesperson on Friday.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2020