NEW YORK, Oct 5: Pakistan International Airlines workers led by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, on Friday picketed the airlines offices at John F. Kennedy airport to protest against the sudden layoff of ticket agents and drastic cut in their severance benefits.
The president of Teamsters local 851, Joann Corsello, told Dawn that the termination notices issued to five ticketing agents were “inhumane and highhanded.” He said some of them had worked with the airline for decades, even as long as 31 years.
Corsello said that the Teamsters local 851, which represented PIA cargo workers and ticket agents, would also help PIA employees begin a class action suit against the airline on behalf of some 45 employees whose benefits package had been cut.
“The informational picketing is especially important because it provides those working for the airline an opportunity to tell the company and its customers that PIA is hurting New York families,” she said.
It is also learnt that Teamster lawyers would file for a court injunction against PIA under the Railways Labor Act to stop its layoff action. PIA’s general manager for North America, Salahuddin, in an interview said he was acting under a mandate from the management to trim operating costs.
“We were facing a stark choice, either stop all operations to North America or cut down the costs to keep the airline viable,” he said.
About the employees served with termination notices for Oct 15, he said the airline had chosen to out-source check-in and other airport handling to Swissport agency, hence they had become redundant. He said the severance package offered to the employees was in line with the benefit packages offered by other international carriers in the United States.
Ms Corsello disputed the claims and said: “PIA is making money as is evident from the statements made by several officials in Pakistan.”
“It would cost them more in legal fees than it would if the airline simply pays its workers what is due,” she added.
A memo issued by the GM on Sept 20 offered the employees in severance package two weeks basic pay for each year of service, capping it at 52 weeks. Most employees who have worked with the airlines for more than 25 years believe that they have been given a raw deal.