LAHORE  - PIA daily wages manpower contractor is involved in embezzlement of millions of rupees by hiring under-paid employees in violation of Prime Minister orders wherein he had fixed Rs.12,000 per head monthly salary for daily wagers in June last year. As per details, there were 3,000 daily wages employees hired by a private firm Fulcrum at various airports of the country and PIA offices. These employees were being paid Rs 4000 to 8000 per month in sheer violation of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Labour laws. Majority of the these employees are performing duties at Qaide-e-Azam International Airport Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIAP), Islamabad airport and other airports of the country. Above said firm was not only involved in paying low wages to employees but was also hiring employees more than approved capacity. If any airport approved 100 daily wages employees but this firm has hired up to 130 employees on the recommendation of influential circles of airlines, senior officers, CBA employees Union and parliamentarians.
Now PIA management has announced once again to pay the daily wages employees salary as per agreement. But it is announced with effect from February 2015 instead of June 2014. It merits mentioning here that one month salary budget of daily wages was Rs.300 million. Manpower contractor was paying almost half salary to the employees and rest of the money was being embezzled. Apart from this there was also part of the contract that contractor would also pay one month salary to daily wages employees after every year as bonus. But despite passing one year said contractor has not paid bonus to the daily wages yet and this amount of Rs 300 million was also auditable.  President of PIA Daily Wages Employees Waheed Butt said that daily wagers were hard working since 15 to 18 years. But they are still waiting for permanent employment. In the recent past President of Pakistan also promised and ordered for regular / permanent employment but it was not implemented. He was of the view that as per constitution of Pakistan of 1973, any worker who performed his duty more than 90 days in any organisation he was entitled to be given permanent employment. All daily wages employees were interviewed in 2001 but no one entertained afterward.
In 2008, Federal Govt. announced confirmation of daily wages and contractual employees but PIA administration confirmed only contractual employees, he lamented.  Former President Asif Ali Zardari announced confirmation of daily wages workers in PIA on 25-12-2010 while addressing in the Wide Body Hangar (Engineering Area) but to no avail.  PIA inducted in regular pay scale daily wages workers of various departments of PIA and Speed Ex as announced by President of Pakistan and the approval of PIA Board Meeting # 334 held on September 24, 2011.
There is no record of Rs30 crores of gratuity money of daily wages workers which was due to pay to daily wagers for their services of last 15 years. Contractor has paid gratuity money in Speed Ex and medical department only about Rs.60 lac but employees of no other department was paid above said facility. Majority of the daily wages employees has crossed the age of 40 years, and at this age they cannot apply for any other Government Job.
PIA spokesman Hanif Rana said that he was unaware of said issue and an inquiry would be held in this connection and if anyone found involved in this embezzlement, he would be taken to task.