CBA union announces strike against privatisation of PIA

KARACHI: The People’s Unity of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CBA union has announced to go on strike against the privatisation of the national airline from Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, PIA CBA consortium President Hidayatullah announced that all district-level booking offices of the national airline will be closed for 2 hours as a token strike from Thursday.

He gave 48-hour ultimatum to the PIA administration and the interim government to refrain from undertaking the privatisation of the national airline.

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“The union will take important decisions on Friday,” he said.

In a major development, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) last Monday had given its nod to the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The decision was made during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCoP), with then Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in the chair.

Earlier, former aviation minister Khawaja Saad Rafique warned that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) may endure alarming losses of Rs259 billion by the year 2030 if urgent corrective measures are not implemented, which includes the transfer of its administrative control to the private sector.