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Air India pilots warn of ‘industrial action’ if payment issues aren’t resolved
In a letter to the management, Air India pilots have demanded payment as per market standards, while the airline awaits handover to the Tata Group, its new owner
A total of about 900 Air India pilots, representing their two unions – the Indian Pilots’ Guild (IPG) and the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) – have warned of “industrial action” if payment-related issues are not resolved soon.
The protesting pilots are complaining over what they are calling an “illegal pay-cut” of 55%.
In a letter to the management, the pilots have demanded payment as per market standards, while the airline awaits handover to the Tata Group, its new owner.
The Air India pilots listed a number of demands, including the release of 25% arrears along with interest, a statement of gratuity, an option of leave encashment, medical benefits for permanent employees, tax-related implications of withheld layover substance allowance, and the release of pending grades to first officers.
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The pilots wrote they gave “more than enough” time to the Air India management to resolve the issues listed.
“It is inexcusable that even now, when we are in the 11th and a half hour before the disinvestment process [is completed], there is not even a concrete roadmap, let alone a satisfactory resolution,” the pilots wrote in the letter dated November 17.
“The shareholders’ agreement has been signed, the Tatas have to fully take over the company and start flying by January 22, 2022, and service conditions are already being adversely changed... Yet, the management’s silence on our service conditions and arrears is deafening,” said one of the protesting pilots.
The pilots’ letter, addressed to Air India’s former chairman and managing director Rajiv Bansal who is currently civil aviation secretary, read, “This state of affairs is no longer tenable. If we do not see the issues… addressed and communicated to us, we will have no choice but to seek justice through ‘industrial action’.”
“Any disruption of operations and its fallout will be attributable to director personnel, who are directly responsible for the abysmal management of these HR issues,” the pilots warned.
