The PIA workers have called off their strike in the hope that the assurances given to them by the government officials, of amicable resolution of the issues involved, will be honoured in good spirit.
The leaders of the PIA Workers Action committee are in Lahore to hold talks with Mian Shahbaz Sharif in this respect.
The said strike has cost the PIA hugely. Estimatedly revenue of nearly three billion rupees might have been lost in this strike— adding to the woes of the PIA.
The workers had to go into strike after their failure to persuade the government away from its determination to sell off the control of the national carrier under the cover of ‘strategic partnership’.
Howsoever convincing the case the government may have in favour of privatisation, the fact is that there are certain institutions in the country that simply cannot be put up for sale. PIA, Pakistan Steel, OGDC and Kahuta are four of them.
Each of these in its own way symbolizes our nationhood, and embodies our national aspirations and pride.
It is hoped that the talks between the leaders of the PIA Workers’ Action Committee and Mian Shahbaz are going to bear fruit— and a wayout is found to meet both the objectives— the objective of keeping the PIA as our national carrier— and the objective of bringing about revolutionary reforms in the management of the Airline.
In the final reckoning, it is a matter of finding an adequate will to bring about a turnaround in the fortunes of the PIA. If this government is not competent enough to rebuild a small business enterprise, how can it be trusted with managing the fortunes of the country as a whole?
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