AI pilot unions reject 5% rollback of pay cuts

“We do not accept this paltry 5% roll back in illegal pay cut and you may advise the concerned to donate this 5% towards funds for building the Parliament or PM CARES Fund,” the unions wrote in a joint letter to the airline’s chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal.

Air India’s pilot unions, Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), on Thursday rejected the offer of a partial roll-back of their salary cuts and threatened to go on a strike if the issue was not resolved.

Passenger jets from Air India, India's national carrier, stand at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India. (AP)

“We do not accept this paltry 5% roll back in illegal pay cut and you may advise the concerned to donate this 5% towards funds for building the Parliament or PM CARE(S Fund),” the unions wrote in a joint letter to the airline’s chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal.

“If we do not see a timely substantial reduction in this disproportionate pay cut, we will be forced to seek justice through harsher means including industrial action,” it added. A copy of the letter dated December 24 was reviewed by Mint. The unions said the disproportionate unilateral pay cut imposed on pilots due to the pandemic since April, amounts to a gross reduction of up to 58% of their salaries. “This cut has been carefully worded to slash our wages by more than half, while insulating top management from any meaningful austerity contribution such as a fair percentage cut on gross emoluments which spreads the burden fairly,” the unions said.

They added that they had “We have gone above and beyond during this pandemic risking life and limb to ensure the success of Vande Bharat Mission,” they added.